A Game for Fools
by Yukiume
Summary: Sasuke returns thinking that she would still be waiting, only to find that she has closed her heart to him. Now he fights to regain the love that she once so freely gave. SasuxSaku. LEMON. Final Chap: Kono Koi - This Love
1. Men as They are Flawed

**AUTHOR'S FOREWORD**

Naruto world is by the all talented Kishimoto Masashi.

This is basically a **SasuxSaku** story, but it also involves** NaruxSaku **at the beginning.  
Must love the lemon!  
Characters are above legal age.

Rated: **M**  
Genre: Romance, **Lemon**, Slight Violence and Angst.

All opinions are appreciated. Do leave me feedbacks so that I know how I'm doing. Thank you for reading and I hope you'd enjoy. :D

* * *

**A Game for Fools**

Chapter 1: Men - As they are Flawed

* * *

Sakura jumped on her bed and slumped her exhausted body against the wall. _How did things turn out like this? _Bringing a bended knee up to support her arm she rested her tired head against it. Oh no, she wasn't physically drained; it was her emotions that were. Exhaling a sigh, she closed her emerald eyes tightly. The scenario continued to replay over and over in her mind. _How should she have reacted to that? How can anyone expect her to react to that?_

The whole town knew that Naruto and her were dating for at least a year now. When he had asked her the first time, there wasn't a valid reason why she should not have agreed. He had always been there for her; been around to comfort and console her; been loving her all the way. But she, though she truthfully was not in love with him, did not see why she should not have given him a chance or herself a chance at happiness. Maybe, just maybe, feelings will developed over time. However, the only one who had been happy was Naruto.

Yes, he was sweet and somewhat romantic. He would wait for her to knock off her shift at the hospital without fail; take her out for meals, though mostly to Ichiraku; buying her bouquets of flowers even when it wasn't on any special occasion. But she was only going with the flow, her heart wasn't there.

Then it happened, Naruto proposed. In front of everybody. How could she have reacted to that? Rejecting him before at least fifty pairs of eyes would crush him. She stood there dumbfounded. No words could escape her lips as she watched him go on bended knee with a ring in hand, expecting a reply. The emotions that welled up inside her had almost burst out, but she managed to tamp them down before they did.

She had pulled him off the ground and told him not to be silly doing this in front of so many witnesses as she gave a forced smile. And Naruto, being Naruto had thought that she had accepted his proposal, jumping up and proclaiming that he loved her above everything or anyone else and slid the ring on her finger.

Sakura emitted a sigh of frustration as she twirled the ring around her finger, removing it and setting it aside on her desk next to her bed. _Naruto, why did you do this?_ She had to tell him the truth; that she couldn't marry him. He deserved someone better; someone who could reciprocate his love; someone like Hinata. She let her body slide from the wall to lie on her side on the bed. How was she going to tell him, without breaking his heart?

Covering her head with a pillow, she let out a maddened scream, thrashing her legs behind her angrily on the bed.

"Sakura!" Her mother called out from outside.

Not bothering to remove the pillow from over her head, she shouted a muffled acknowledgement, "Yeah?"

"Naruto, my future son-in-law is here!"

_Crap!_ She jumped up from the bed in a flash, picking up the ring and placing it back on her finger. _What was he doing here?_ She had not informed her mother of the engagement, apparently Naruto had beaten her to it. Her heart palpitated hard in her chest. She had to tell him. _How?_ Two knocks on the door snapped her from her trail of thoughts.

"Ha—hai! Just a minute!" She could feel her guts twisting inside her as she paced around her room, chewing on her thumbnail nervously. A habit she picked up from her mentor, Godaime Hokage of Konoha.

The door swung open and Naruto stepped in with a bright grin on his face. "Hello, my love. I see you are wearing the ring. I hope you like it."

"Uh… I… I do." The tension in her cheek muscles tighten as she strained a smile at the blonde shinobi.

He handed her the bouquet of flowers he had gotten. Obviously, going through the trouble to personally pick the flowers; pink, in the exact same hue as her hair. Taking the bouquet from him, she thanked him with a hint of uneasiness and turned to place it on her table.

Naruto stepped up behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist, in an embrace. He whispered affectionately, "I love you, Sakura-chan."

She chuckled uncomfortably, not responding to the profession. Placing her hand over his, she removed them from her waist as he loosened his grip. When she turned around, he collided his lips with hers, shocking her in the process, but she did not pull away nor did she react to his advances. She just stood there stiff and unmoved, not knowing what to do.

When he broke from the kiss, she called to him hesitantly, "Naruto… I…"

"You don't have to say it. I'll give you the biggest, grandest wedding any girl would die for! My future wife deserves that." He pecked her on the cheek and pressed his forehead against her left temple. "I'll make you happy. I promise." Then he made his way to her door and gave a smile and a wave, "I'll see you tomorrow."

Sakura heaved a sigh of relief and to rid herself of the tension. He seemed so caught up in his own happy dream, she would be a complete bitch to destroy it. How was she going to deal with this? She thought of Hinata, who had been devastated when Naruto chose Sakura over her, although Hinata hid her misery from everyone, Sakura knew. Hinata had not made her feelings known to him and Naruto had always been blind to her love for him. And Sakura, due to her own selfishness, had agreed to court him instead of rejecting him, because she was afraid that she would be left to rot on the shelf. Sakura knew that Hinata would have treated him with love and utmost respect, unlike herself.

Their relationship had been strangely platonic, despite being known under the moniker of a couple in the village. Sexual relations occurred as often as only twice during the whole of their year old partnership. Even during those periods, it happened only because she had needed a man to quench her thirst and he had never initiated it, it has always been her.

Lying herself back down on her bed, she closed her eyes in hope that the solution would come to her in her dreams. Bringing the back of her hand to cover her forehead, she hummed in meditation to clear her mind of the negative emotions.

* * *

Jumping out of bed when she was summoned by Tsunade in the morning of the following month, Sakura dressed up in her usual red vest, pink skirt, black tights. Fastening her hitai-ate on her head and fitting on her knee high sandal-boots, before proceeding out, sprinting quickly, as she knew that her master was not fond of people being late. Demonstrated once when Kakashi had arrived in the Hokage's office two hours overdue and was rewarded with a kick through the walls; that had taken him a full two weeks to recover in the hospital's Intensive Care Unit from the almost fatal injuries. No, Sakura wouldn't want the same fate.

She had not been able to tell Naruto the truth about her feelings, mostly due to him being so excited about their engagement that it was difficult to find the right time to break it to him.

When she arrived outside the door to the office, she could hear faint voices coming from inside; a female, which belonged to Tsunade and the other a male. Though the voice was familiar to her, she was unable to place a face on it. She gave a knock before turning the knob and opening the door, "Shishou…" Her voice faded away and eyes widen with surprise.

There, with his back to her, he stood, spiky black hair, white high collared long sleeved gi with the unmistakable crest of the Uchiha clan between the shoulders. _Sasuke? Masaka?_ (Can it be?) She watched as he turned his head calmly to face her from slightly over his right shoulder. She froze at the door and her heart jumped in her chest.

"Sakura. Come in." Her master instructed her and she obeyed closing the door behind her. She positioned herself a fair distance away from the missing-nin, keeping wary eyes on him. There was no way she would ever forget the time he had tried to mercilessly kill her. This man is dangerous and she knows it. What was the reason for _his _presence here in Konoha, in the Hokage's office? She smelled something fishy brewing. And where the hell is Naruto?

Naruto burst into the office, just when she thought about him, sauntering in with arms behind his head and eyes squinted shut, "Ne, Obaa-chan… Wha—." He halted when he opened his eyes, shocked at seeing the Uchiha for the first time in four years, since their last fight where Sasuke had killed Danzo, the corrupted Konoha elder. "Sasuke?" He exclaimed.

Tsunade breathed with authority in her voice, "Naruto, Sakura. I have a duty to inform you that Sasuke has completed his mission for the village and has returned to Konoha."

"_Mission_?" The both of them questioned in unison with shock eminent in their voices, while the black haired shinobi scoffed at their anticipated reactions.

"I'm sorry, Shishou. I don't understand." Sakura was puzzled at the Hokage's words.

"Uchiha Sasuke was acting as a double agent for Konoha the past nine years. Allying with Orochimaru, then Uchiha Madara was all within the scope of his mission. The mission has been retracted and I have instructed for his return." Tsunade explained, "Sasuke will be reinstated as a Konoha shinobi and will rejoin Team Kakashi with immediate effect."

Sakura's jaw dropped. _His defection had been a mission for the village all along? _Unbelievable. Still, she wasn't ready to accept him into the team with open arms. He did, after all, not hesitate to injure everyone, Kakashi, Naruto and herself. She eyed her new-old teammate suspiciously and he smirked at her.

Naruto was keeping silent beside her with clenched fists, when suddenly he burst out happily, "I KNEW IT! Sasuke, I knew you wouldn't have abandoned your village and your friends." He ran towards the Uchiha and jumped onto his back embracing him with all his might. Sasuke was stunned by the unexpected shower of affection from the orange suited ninja and flipped Naruto off his back onto the floor. Naruto screamed on impact, "Itai! Sasuke-teme…"

"Usura tonkachi…" Sasuke mumbled turning his face away from the groaning Naruto. Then when his eyes met hers and he smirked again. A knot formed in her stomach and she peeled her eyes away from his.

"Sakura-chan…" Naruto dragged himself on the floor and lifted a hand to her, "Please help your future husband up… Please."

Her heart skipped a beat at Naruto's declaration. She had not wanted Sasuke to hear that. Why? She didn't know either. She had noticed the quick flash of consternation on Sasuke's features, before it disappeared under the usual indifferent expression._ What was that about?_ Brushing it aside, she stretched out her hand to assist Naruto to his feet.

The reunited three-man team was dismissed from the Hokage's presence and they gathered outside the tower. Naruto was overjoyed that his teammate and eternal friendly-rival had finally returned home, so much so that he hauled them for lunch at Ichiraku Ramen. Naruto was open with his endearment for her and she felt extremely uncomfortable with Sasuke around to witness it. She knew that Sasuke was quietly observing as Naruto fed her with his pair of chopsticks despite her ample refusals. Sakura took her leave from the shop when she was done with her lunch, leaving the two men to catch up on their own.

When she got home, she sat by her desk and buried her face in her palms. _Sasuke's back._ It had only been a mission; that would mean that he was a hero, not an infamous criminal tied to the Akatsuki. Something was not right somewhere. Sasuke _did_ defect because he yearned to avenge his clansmen and if he was the innocent party in these proceedings, then why did he still pursue after Itachi for vengeance? Sakura was not one who would let the truth slip away from her. She was going to find out what actually conspired in the background, not that she actually knew how to but, she could try.

She left the house in the late evening as the sky was beginning to darken the surroundings. The street lamps shone its bright light illuminating the path before her. She had needed to take a walk, thinking at home for logical answers to her predicament gave her a headache. Two things she needed to sort out: One: _Naruto_; Two: _Sasuke_.

Letting out a sigh, she came to her senses and found herself in the middle of the Red Bridge, the same one that the team would regularly gather before their training sessions with Kakashi. Those sessions never lasted long enough, because by the time the Jonin showed up it was almost time to go home. She smiled in reminisce of the good old times they had shared as Team Seven, sadly that Team Seven does not exist anymore despite their earlier reunion. Same yet not the same.

She rested her elbows on the ledge and leaned her body forward to look over the bridge, taking in the peaceful flow of the waters below. Closing her eyes for a moment to relief her mental exhaustion and her thoughts traveled to Kakashi. She had heard from Tsunade that he had been recalled into the ANBU to train the next batch of greenhorns and she hasn't seen him since. She kinda missed him, a little.

The sudden thudding of footsteps on wood drew her attention, so she straightened to her full height and braced herself for company. A shinobi is always alert, whether in or out of the battlefield. Long black forelocks that framed both sides of his face blew gently in the wind as he made his way over to her. He had changed out of his earlier clothes that look awfully akin to Otogakure shinobis' outfits and was now attired in a dark grey sleeveless gi and long navy blue pants. She had forgotten how handsome he was.

"I didn't think I'd see you here." Sasuke regarded her softly.

She didn't respond, but instead shifted herself to her former position before he had arrived, tilting her head up slightly to enjoy the breeze that caressed and gently pushed back her rosette locks from her face.

He settled himself beside her, leaning his back against the red railings and folded his arms to his chest. "How have you been?"

She sighed, "You've become rather chatty haven't you?"

"Hn…" He smirked at her sharp comeback. She had changed, the cheerful and carefree little girl he knew had grown to take on a somewhat darker persona. It was different. "I want to apologize for that time... when I attacked you."

"Attack? It wasn't just an attack, Sasuke. You were going to kill me." She scoffed, rolling her eyes.

He brushed his fingers through his midnight hair. "I was aiming for the space between your shoulder and your arm; it would have only been a flesh wound. It wouldn't have killed you."

"Then explain your killing intent." She hissed through her teeth and her emerald eyes gleamed with animosity as she cocked her head in his direction.

This was a new Sakura he was seeing and it intrigued him. He turned himself to take on the same position she had, elbows on the ledge. "I had to. I was under surveillance."

They allowed the quietness to linger for a moment before he broke the silence. "I've noticed you've dropped the suffix in my name."

She chuckled, not amused. "And you cannot think of any reasons why?" It was a rhetorical question, had he answered he would be sleeping on the riverbed tonight.

"I like it better this way." He gave her a sly smile, but she ignored him.

"Listen, Sasuke. You may have gained Naruto's trust in an instant, but not mine. I have seen enough, gone through enough and I am tired. Stay away from me." She warned as she straightened up and made her way to the other side of the bridge.

He followed, jumping to sit himself on the ledge beside her. She eyeballed him causing him to snigger. "About you and that dobe… You're not really engaged are you?"

She had wanted to wipe that smug look off his face, but restrained herself, "Why would you care?"

"When I left Konoha I didn't know what I was going to lose, but now it's crystal clear what I had lost." He breathed, "You."

She choked. _He_ was being sentimental. Sasuke was being _sentimental_. "Goodbye Sasuke." Pushing herself up with the help of the ledge, she attempted to walk away, but he caught her by the wrist.

"Wait." She didn't fight his grasp and stayed for a moment to permit one last audience. "Just answer the question."

"Yes, we are." She said flatly, eyes looking down at her feet. "Now if you don't mind, I would like to be alone."

He released his grip and she walked away without turning back. She was not going to allow herself to fall, not again. As they say, "Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me". Sakura emitted a seething scoff; _she _was not going to be fooled again.

After a refreshing bath she laid herself on the bed, hands behind to pillow her head. She had been thinking about the conversation they had. He was no longer the Sasuke she knew. He had become… more human. Why was he interested whether she was engaged? And what did he mean when he said that he had lost _her_? It cannot not be that he, Sasuke, had an interest in her, because he had never shown interest in any woman, let alone her.

She turned to her side, bringing a hand up to comb through her damp tresses in an attempt make it dry faster. She then remembered that brief expression he gave when Naruto informed of their impending nuptials. _What was that about?_ She emitted a disturbed sigh. Men are so difficult and too confusing to handle.

* * *

**Author's Notes:**  
Heh heh.. He's back…  
Leave me your thought and reviews, so that I can see how I'm doing so far as I prep the next chapter.  
Thank you for reading. :D


	2. Broken Haven

UPDATE 2: Found further typographical errors. I am terribly sorry... Readers, if you do spot any other errors, please inform me, because I absolutely appreciate the gesture. You may PM me.

Thank you, **ImaFREAK**, **Wings-chan **and **Casket **for your reviews. It makes writing worthwhile. Though I'm a little disappointed that I _only _got three.

I think I needed to explain Sasuke's OOC context, therefore I have clarified it in this chapter. Read to find out. :D

* * *

**A Game for Fools**

Chapter Two: Broken Haven

* * *

_And I know I never told you,  
That I love you, now it's all too late.  
And I don't know how to hold you, but I want to,  
I don't want to leave this way.  
All I know is broken._

_~Broken by Sezairi Sezali~_

_

* * *

_  
The rain had ceased and the magnificent golden sun was spilling its scorching rays of light on the three shinobis gathered to form a triangle on the training field. Two against one did not seem like a fair fight, but the ebony haired male held his own brilliantly against the other two.

Rules of the session were: One: Basic taijutsu; Two: No weapons; Three: No usage of chakra. This was purely a fist fight. A fight of raw speed and power.

She watched as he brought his hand up to brush the midnight hair off his face and smirked at his opponents. _He's open!_ Sakura charged at him, fists pounding the air seeking contact with his body. He evaded. Crouching to avoid a frontal kick she twirled herself to deliver a low roundhouse kick. Sasuke jumped back.

Naruto attacked from the back with an uppercut to Sasuke's blindside. It only nicked a cheek. The blonde shinobi grinned as he blocked his opponent's counters. They continued at that for ten minutes.

Sakura stood eyeing the two, waiting for the right time for her to interject with her own intended strikes. When the Uchiha swung hitting Naruto under the chin and he was thrown a distance away, unconscious, that was her cue. She advanced in full speed towards him. Thrusting with her fists, she landed two hits out of twenty. He was quick even without the use of his Sharingan. She blinked, when she knew she shouldn't have and Sasuke seized the opportunity to launch his punches at several places on her body before she could retaliate. She fell to the grass hitting her head hard on the earth below.

The match was over and it was clear who the winner was.

She groaned with eyes closed as she remained sprawled on the ground, bringing a hand to rub the back of her throbbing head. She saw through her eyelids the sun being block from view. She lifted her rosette lashes and was shocked to find that Sasuke had settled himself over her, effectively pinning her down in the most uncompromising position. His obsidian eyes that were looking into hers had a certain yearning that she was unable to comprehend. Her breathing quicken when he lowered himself, lips hovering an inch away from hers. _What the hell is he doing? _Charging her fist with chakra, she hit him, throwing him off her in the process. _That'll teach him._

Propping herself up and climbing onto her feet, she stomped over to the Uchiha and shouted at him; evidently, provoked by his lack of respect for her dignity. "What the _fuck _do you think you were doing?"

Sasuke was surprised at the unexpected use of profanity. He had never thought that _she_ even had that word in her vocabulary. The last he had seen her destructive power was when they, his team, infiltrated Orochimaru's base in Otogakure, a long time ago. It was beyond rational comprehension, though nothing less expected from the protege of the Godaime Hokage and last of the legenary Sannin. He made a mental note to be more than cautious around those hands and legs. Bringing a hand to wipe the trickling blood from the corner of his lips, he stood up and gave an irksome smirk, one that he knew would aggravate her further than she already was.

She flipped. In a flash, she slammed her fist at the ground where he had sat, he had evaded at the last second. If he had thought that she was that crazy fan-girl she was before, he was dead wrong. She was going to bore it into his mind if he didn't get it the first time she made it clear to him to stay away from her, that night on the Red Bridge, a week ago. She sped towards him and saw his eyes flickered red. He appeared in an instant behind her with his right arm wrapped round her neck almost chocking her. He whispered into her ear, "Sakura, help restore my clan."

She was dumbfounded and enraged at the same time. _Who does he think he is?_ She reached over, twisting her hand in the material of his dark grey gi and flung him to the ground. Lifting a fist in the air to increase the force of the motion, she struck at him, but he moved away before contact. Sakura cursed. "If you think that I am the same girl before you left, think again. I warned you before and I'll warn you this last time, Sasuke. Stay the fuck away from me!"

At least Naruto respected her as a person and as a woman. Walking towards the unconscious shinobi, she found that he had actually been asleep. The drool collected in a puddle on the grass and that sound, the snores he was producing was such a complete turn off. A vein popped at her temple. Urgh, how can she marry _him_? With a leg, she nudged him in the side. "Naruto."

He snorted and turned to face the other direction.

"Naruto." She called a little louder and when he did not respond the third time, she kicked him with a chock-full of power, sending him flying into the sky and back, creating a crater in the field where he landed.

"Sakura-chan…" He whined. "Couldn't you have kissed me to wake me up?"

She chose to ignore the question, but stretched a hand out to help him off the ground. Naruto was a good man and she would be blessed to be called his wife, but they were so incompatible. She still hesitated to tell him thinking that maybe if she waited just a little longer, the love she had for him, which was more akin to the love siblings would share, will change to the same love he had for her. "Come on, the match is over. He won."

"That Teme won?" Naruto's eyes brighten at the information. "I knew he would. He's a hero!" He was never one to compliment the former missing-nin, but today was an exception; he was in a good mood, because had informed her earlier that premises for the wedding has been confirmed.

Sakura remained mum; she couldn't agree with him. Sasuke was no hero in her eyes. Naruto seemed to have fully recovered from Sasuke's earlier assault and was back to his usual energetic self. He gathered and brought them all to Yakiniku Q for lunch.

* * *

That evening, Sakura made her way to the local bar. Her stress level went way up high and she intended to drown herself and her sorrows in bottles and bottles of sake. This team, the team she loved; her haven from worldly troubles had become a trouble in itself. Where had the happiness escaped to? Where did that carefree girl go? She sighed, swallowing the mouthful of sake and slamming the emptied bottle on the table. Cursing under her breath that she was still sober, she signaled the waiter for another.

Someone joined her at the table. With vision blurred from the effects of too much alcohol in her system, she could not make out who it was. She shouted an impressive assortment of profanities at the stranger and demanded that he or she get their own table elsewhere. The person only chuckled in response. She cursed and swiped a hand across to attack, but missed. Her eyes could no longer focus and her body became languid. She collapsed over the table.

The next thing she remembered was Naruto running over to her from the door. He cradled her wasted body in his arms and called to her. She heard him say something that sounded like muffles to her intoxicated ears, something like 'the bartender called… blah, blah… here. I'll… blah, blah… home.'

She mumbled, "Where is the stranger who sat at my table?"

"There was no one else besides you and the bartender here, Sakura-chan." He informed and carried her out of the bar.

During the middle of the journey back home, Sakura pulled herself up with the arms that were wrapped around his neck and pressed her lips onto his in a lustful kiss. Naruto halted running and allowed her to have her way with him. She uttered for him to take her to his place and he did as instructed.

When they arrived outside his apartment, he set her down on her feet as he fumbled for his key. She leaned her body, pressing her bosom against his back as she reached a hand forward to cup over his manhood. He gasped at the sudden invasion while struggling to open the door. Finally when it unlocked, she pushed him against the door and ravaged him wildly. She had no idea what she was doing, but tonight she needed a man to rid herself of the stress.

They stumbled all over the apartment, before collapsing on the floor with passion overflowing. She straddled him between her thighs and unzipped his orange jacket. Running her palms down his taut abdomen, she began to work on the buckle and zip of his pants.

A broken gasp escaped him as he caught her wrist. "Sakura-chan. Not like this."

"Not like what?" She asked with irritation resonating in her tone, attempting to wrestle her captive hands from his grip, but he held on tight.

"After the wedding… I promise." He sat himself up, with her still straddling his thighs.

"What?" Her brows creased into a frown.

Sakura was aghast. She brought a hand to her temple and shut her eyes tight, obviously disappointed with the outcome of the session. Here she was presenting herself so easily with no strings attached to a _man_ and he was _rejecting_ her. Her first love left the village to seek vengeance. Her fiancé refuses intimate relations. It was just her dumb luck that no man wanted her. _Love sucks!_

"Sakura-chan, it's not that I don't want this. I don't want this to just be a result of your drunken stupor. You are everything to me. I cannot hurt you."

She lifted herself off him, tapping him on his shoulder to indicate that she understood and also indistinctly informing that she was not in the mood to listen to his preaching. Making her way to the bathroom, she locked the door behind her and settled herself directly under the showerhead above, turning the faucet to maximum pressure.

When the waters hit, she broke down. Squatting and hugging her knees to her chest as the water cascaded, pelting against her body in forceful gushes from overhead. She missed the old days, when Kakashi had been around. He would have made the team stick; he was the glue holding them all in their rightful place. Now they were like individuals banded together, but not working together. Bringing her hands up to grip her dark coral water soaked hair she cried many, many tears of emotional pain and agony.

It hurt that she had lost control of her senses. She wasn't cheap, she was only lost. Though her mind was in denial, somewhere, deep down in the recesses of her broken heart, she still loved _him_. She loved them both, but in ways unalike. She felt that she was no longer the one in the driver's seat in her journey down the path of life. She wept aloud, in unison with the sound of the raging torrent coming in contact with the tiled floor and her body.

She must have stayed in the bathroom for over an hour when Naruto came banging on the door to check on her. She ignored him and remained at where she was, still weeping. When he finally gave up, she dried herself and put on her clothes. She exited into the main room and found him asleep on his bed. _So much for love._ She cursed and left the apartment.

Taking a slow walk back home, she heard footsteps following from behind her. She turned her head over and found that it was _him_. She rolled her eyes, ignoring when he called out to her. "Sakura."

"Are you tailing me? It is four in the morning and I warned you to stay away from me." She threatened without turning to face him.

"Just hear me out." Sasuke answered.

She continued walking the path to her destination. "Look, I am not interested in the restoration of your clan. You can go find Ino or some other girl who is willing to be the mother of your child. Leave me out of it."

"At the bar…" He said.

That was enough to halt her. "So you were the one at the bar earlier. Sasuke, you are making me angry. Stop following me."

"Let me explain before you go." He moved in front of her.

Jade eyes gleamed dangerously sending the unspoken message off menace to obsidian ones.

"I admit that I did leave the village to kill Itachi. But when I learnt of the truth after my brother died, I only felt remorse." With agony affixed on his features, he placed a palm over his chest above his heart. "Sakura… _my _heart of stone felt _remorse_. I know I've done you wrong in the past, I want to change it."

"You can't change the past." She turned away from him.

"I can change the future. You have always lov—."

"I gave up on you years ago, there is no way you can expect me to keep loving someone who would readily hurt his friends... and _me_…" She paused as the nauseating pressure of tears fought to push its way through the ducts and she suppressed them with a sarcastic scoff. "For the sake of the team, Sasuke, please _stay away_ from me." She left.

Sasuke did not pursue her further. He had heard the way her voice cracked when she told him to _stay away _from her. The anguish resonated clear like an amplified echo in a deserted hallway though she had struggled to conceal it from him. The events that occurred those many years ago still remained a plague in her mind, bitter and resentful. However, she had all the right to be hostile towards him. He had hurt her deeper than he had assumed. He gave an audible 'Hn' to himself and made his way back to the Uchiha grounds, leaving his troubles for another day.

On reaching home, Sakura threw her body onto the bed with a thud, covering her eyes with the palm of her hand. The emotions, long restrained, poured forth and she broke down again. How long will she be able to stay strong? Her insides were being eaten up by everything that was once perfect. Now all that was left was emptiness.

She reflected on the Sasuke's earlier words. He was different from the boy she knew; still slightly egoistic, but was warm and more opened. Maybe Itachi's death was not in vain; it had served to cleanse him from the affliction of hatred and pain he suffered alone before he left Konoha.

Why was she even thinking about him? She shook her head violently to rid herself of the preposterous thoughts. She would be a fool if she ever start falling in love again with the guy who had broken her heart. Moreover, she was engaged to her, no, _their_, other teammate. Clenching her fist, she struck at her forehead to reprimand herself. _Don't be a fool, Sakura._

* * *

**Authors' Notes:  
**Let me know in a **review **whether I was able to convey Sakura's anguish.

Oh... just for your information, _**LEMON **_begins next chapter! :D Hope you are as excited as I am...

This story will be updated on a weekly basis. Thank you for reading.


	3. The Fall

Thank you, **Etsune**, **Woodbyne**, **Wings-chan**, **RammsteirNails**, **Mary S. Jane** (for making it a 10), for your reviews. Not forgetting those of you who have subscribed and included this story in your favourite list, lots of love… *kiss kiss*

If you haven't noticed so far, Sai does not exist in this story, at all... So don't ask me where he went, cos he's probably still in Root, painting some M rated portraits of his colleagues' anatomies...

Now, I have a duty to remind all readers that this story is of equivalent standing as Sai's paintings, **MATURE**, that means if you're not freaking **16** and above get the hell out of this page… For the rest of you, lovelies, lemon begins… Now! Read to find out. XD

* * *

**A Game for Fools**

Chapter 3: The Fall

* * *

"There have been reports of unauthorized activities going on in the outskirts of the Land of Fire. Your mission is to gather information on these activities and do the necessary to hinder them." The Hokage briefed. "As Naruto is away for sage training in Mount Myoboku and will only be returning in a month's time, the two of you will proceed on without him. This is a reconnaissance mission that requires of stealth and speed, the lesser the men the less weight to carry."

"Hai!" Sakura and Sasuke acknowledged in unison.

Tsunade walked towards the window, "You shall proceed out tomorrow morning. You are dismissed."

They left the office in a flash.

Sakura had never expected to be sent on a mission alone with _him_, having thought that Naruto would always be around. However, now that Naruto had left for his month long training yesterday, the team would have to do without him. She sighed. Working as a team with Sasuke will be no easy feat, given the discomfort she faces whenever she was around him.

She was not interested in mending the rift in their friendship, in fear of falling in love with him again and he has not been making it easy. He had questioned her umpteen times why she had agreed to marry that dobe when clearly she wasn't in love with him. She had ignored him. Who was _he_ to ask her something like that?

"Sakura." He called to her. She turned her head over just slightly to regard him. "We'll meet at the front gates in the morning at daybreak and set off."

"Fine." She answered flatly and walked off, leaving him behind. It was funny to experience how fate toyed with their charges first hand. Years ago it would have been her who initiated conversations with the onyx eyed shinobi, now it was his turn.

The sun was already disappearing behind the Hokage monument as she ambled through the streets. The air was fresh and it served to cleanse her thoughts as she journeyed home.

That night, she began to prepare the things she needed for the mission. Poison kunais, shurikens and senbons. Reminding herself to not forget packing in the soldier pills as well, for the strength that she might require. Her teammate, though she wouldn't like to admit, was Sasuke after all and he had always been the elite ninja that he was and this was the first official mission for him since his return. She might not be able to catch up with him.

When she was done, she proceeded to the kitchen to pack some bentos for the meals that they would probably need if he didn't like her Hyorogan (soldier pills). _Wait._ She stopped herself outside the kitchen. Was she looking out for his interest?_ No, no, no... _She shook her head and ran back into her room. _What the hell is wrong with me?_

She felt that she was beginning to lose her sanity. That thin line between hate and love was fading. She had to be strong. For herself. For Naruto. She still had not told him that she couldn't marry him, because she wanted to love him and not Sasuke. He was the only thing holding her back and she needed that restrain. The wedding had been scheduled in three months time; she didn't agree to it, but neither did she disagree. Naruto had made all the arrangements on his own and had only informed her about it when he did.

She sat herself at the corner of the room, hands over her head. The voices, they won't stop. One was telling her to think of her happiness. The other was telling her abide by her duty. What was she to do? She couldn't just abandon Naruto and run for Sasuke. After all that Sasuke had put her through, she should not even consider loving him. And Naruto, sweet Naruto would be devastated. Tears spilled from her dreary eyes, wetting her cheeks, as she smeared them away with her hands. She buried her head in her arms and sobbed the night away.

* * *

It was the break of dawn and Sakura made her way over to the giant green gates of Konohagakure. The ebony haired shinobi was already present and was waiting for her. He had reverted to his old outfit, the white gi and that disgusting purple Otogakure's rope that wrapped round his hip in a bow. He smirked at her when she arrived and she sneered in repulse.

Taking out the map from her haversack, she laid it on the ground and informed him of their intended route. He nodded in acknowledgement. The mission is scheduled to last for four days without hindrances. Hopefully, there wouldn't be any. Rolling up the map and placing it back into her pack, they set off, sprinting through the trees and jungle foliage.

They traveled for a day and arrived during nightfall at the outskirts of the Land of Fire. Making camp that night and continuing the mission at dawn was the plan. She tossed the firewood she had collected onto the pile that Sasuke had already positioned and she signaled to him to do the necessary with his Katon jutsu.

Sakura had not breathed a word to him since they had left Konoha. She had intended to avoid all forms of contact except when it had to do with the mission. Sitting herself down on her laid out sleeping bag she stared blankly into the dancing flames.

During the entire journey, Sasuke had been observing her keenly as she led the way to their destination. He had sweat, not from the strenuous running, he was an elite shinobi, no amount of sprinting could make him heated up the way he was, but from watching her lithe form prancing from tree branch to tree branch and the rippling of her taut muscles underneath her skin did. His mind started to wander at what he might do to her now that they were finally alone, in the dark.

He watched her now, intently, as he noticed how the jade of her eyes reflected the orange blaze creating a whole new array of colours he had never seen in his life. She was beautiful and this was the first time he had ever thought of her like that. He recorded in his mind every minute detail of her features; her little movements; everything. Was this what he had lost? This pure and chaste kunoichi who had loved him unconditionally, until the day that he turned his back on her, he wished that he could take it all back.

"Sakura." He called out to her from over the fire. He enjoyed the way her name rolled out from his lips, it was like a drug and she was his aphrodisiac. Her emerald eyes twitched in his direction and then returned its gaze to the fire. He smirked. "What do you see in that dobe?"

"We are not having this conversation." She replied sternly as she weaved a hand through her cherry coloured hair and letting it fall back down on her shoulders.

Sasuke snarled. "Because you don't want to hear what I really think of your relationship with him?"

Her eyes gleamed with rage as she stared straight into his dark haunted eyes, "No. It is solely because it has got nothing to do with you."

"Hn." He knew that he had hit a nerve. "You don't love him."

"What do you know of love, Sasuke? You, of all people." She snapped back, nails creating crescent shaped indents in the palm of her hands.

"At least I don't go pretending to love someone I clearly don't."

"Fuck you!" Sakura jumped up and charged at him. He had no right to talk to her like that. Fisting her hands in the material of his gi, she slammed him against the tree.

Sasuke grabbed her by the waist and flipped her over, switching their respective places, now he had her pinned down. Before she was able to react, he rammed his lips onto hers and kissed her hard while she fought to liberate herself. Her nails clawed at his bare chest, breaking skin and drawing blood, but he did not waver. Tracing his hands down to the rounds of her hip he pulled her closer into him and gave a low feral moan of pleasure, sliding his tongue along the serrated front of her gritted teeth he forcefully parted them.

She stopped thrashing about as her mind slowly slipped away into quiet submission, letting her tongue twirl around his in a dance of passion. Wrapping her arms around his shoulders, she deepened the kiss with much desperation and need. Sakura emitted a gasp when one of his hands moved over her breast, molding it in his palm for just a second, then worked to unzip her vest revealing the chest bindings below.

Sasuke broke apart from her lips to inspect his prey with a provocative smirk. Retrieving a kunai from his pack, he grazed the sharp point against her skin between her ribs, angling and crawling upwards under the cloth, ripping it as he went along to uncover her supple flesh beneath. The blade then found its mark on the bark of an adjacent tree and was quickly forgotten. He grunted, incredibly pleased with her delectable endowments. They were of ideal proportion, a perfect fit as he kneaded them in his palms. Grabbing onto her waist, he maneuvered her higher and pressed her body to the trunk for support as she straddled her legs around him. She could feel his arousal straining to break free from beneath the material of his pants, rubbing erotically against her own and when he closed a mouth over a rosette bud, she rewarded him with a whimper. His tongue circled her areola and flicked at her crowning peak, making her gasp, tipping her head back. He then shifted his attention to the other, ministering to it so perfectly she swore that no other man could give her such ecstasy.

When he let her back down to the ground, he showered her neck with nibs and kiss, at times, biting on her soft skin and feeling the pulse of her heart through her flesh. Holding up her right thigh astride his hip, he made a gentle brush against her womanhood with his fingers, drawing another sharp intake of breath from her. He smirked against her skin as he added pressure to his fingertips, pushing at the right spots through the fabric of her tights.

She felt her sanity leaving her to a point where nothing else in the world mattered except for the primal need of liberation. Her breathing became erratic as her release drew close and an involuntary sigh of displeasure escaped her when he removed his hand.

"You're enjoying this, aren't you?" He smirked slyly, eyes locking into her flustered unfocused emeralds that reflected her immense want. Sliding his hand beneath the material, he came into direct contact with her slick and swollen arousal. He circled the outskirts of her femininity at an agonizingly slow pace; listening to the hitching of her breath each time he stoked her bundle of nerves. Her fists were creasing the material of his gi as her mouth parted in a silent scream when he penetrated her with his middle finger. Wetting his single digit with her fluids, he pushed in and out of her as he observed her guard crumble away with every thrust. With walls so thigh against one finger, his mind envisaged what it would feel if another part of his anatomy were to enter her. He growled ferociously at the thought, slipping the index finger to join the other in its rhythmic pumping.

Sakura bit down on her pink lower lip, a sloppy attempt to suppress her cries of sexual gratification at the now rapid pounding into her sex and it grew worse when he curled his fingers to provide increased sensations within her. Her head was spinning and the coil tightened. It was too _fucking_ good. His skillful fingers and the added curve caressing that delicate spot… _Sasuke, bastard!_ Her vision spiked as she screamed his name. Her walls pulsated with unimaginable constriction around his slick unyielding appendages, till she came down from what was the most amazing climax any man had administered to her and they were _only_ his _fingers_. Unable to muster strength, she slumped against him and rested her head on his shoulder.

Sakura blinked, trying to establish her bearings and found that she was standing, though not at the tree but at her spot by the fire. Puzzled, she looked across the bonfire and focused her attention at him. She saw his crimson eyes transitioned back to obsidian_. Genjutsu?_ She collapsed to the ground as her legs gave out under her. She could feel the pooling of moisture in her heated center, threatening to percolate the fabric of her tights; the aftermath of satisfaction he bestowed in that moment of illusion. "Sasuke… You're a jerk." She broke down crying.

"Was I wrong to give you exactly what you wanted when you said '_fuck_ _you_'? In fact, I have yet to fulfill that desire. If you like I can do so now." He advanced towards her and she shrunk fearfully away from him.

Bringing her knees to her chest in an attempt to shield herself from him, she rasped indignantly despite her sobbing, "Do you find joy in hurting me, you sadistic lowlife? I've always loved you, wishing for your return. When I tried to forget you, you barge right back in and ruin my whole life. Why Sasuke? Tell me why. Can't you see that I'm trying to move on?"

"Maybe, I don't want you to move on. Maybe, I want you to be mine and not that idiot's."

She buried her face in the hollow that her arms created from hugging her knees. Though her words were slightly muffled, he heard her loud and clear. "This is just a game to you. It never had anything to do with me. You and your never ending quest for power, ego and whatnot."

"It isn't like that!" He raised his voice, Sharingan activating itself by his uncontrolled emotions. "I don't want you to move on because I love you! You hear me? I said,_ I_ fucking love _you_!" He grabbed her by her shoulders, shaking her, straining to gain her understanding. "Sakura, tell me that you do still love me."

Her head remained buried in her arms. She had imagined that she would have been happy when she finally heard the words she had waited so long to hear, but now the circumstances were different. She was the fiancée of another man. How can she love someone else? How can she love _him_? But she did. 'I love you too' was what her mind relentlessly repeated, but what materialised from her lips were, "I don't anymore, Sasuke."

"You're lying! I can hear it in your voice." He hissed irately, the three tomoe in each eye circled around the iris. "Look me in the eyes and tell me the truth!"

"Look you in the eyes so that you can place me under another one of your genjutsu-s? So that you can outrage my modesty in your sick twisted world?" She cried brokenly. "If you really love me, you wouldn't want to hurt me. Yet you do it over and over. Never learning. Never considering my feelings."

He was taken aback, eyes widening as if he was hit by a crushing wave of revelation. The Sharingan faded. He kept silent, reflecting on her words. Was this how she sees him? Someone who can only bring her hurt and pain? He stroked her shoulders with his thumbs and shifted himself to hold her. "I... I'm... sorry. Forgive me. I am good at everything else except when it comes to love. It's beyond me… but I am willing to learn it from you, _with_ you. Please, Sakura..."

She did not respond. The thoughts in her mind were all jumbled, drowning in their own predicament. _Naruto or Sasuke? Sasuke? Naruto? Gah! I don't want to care anymore! _She lifted her head slowly from her arms to face him and the expression he wore on his handsome face broke her heart. Maybe he was truly remorseful and maybe he really did genuinely love her. She brought up a hand to cup over his cheek as the last tear fell from her eye. "I love you… Sasuke..." _Damn the heavens…_

* * *

…_Realized I loved you in the fall.  
And then the cold came, the dark days,  
When fear crept into my mind.  
You gave me all your love and all I gave you was goodbye._

_~Back to December by Taylor Swift~_

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**Author's Notes:**  
*Sigh* I'm ill... Cough, flu, fever. Heaven hates me. Apart from that, you can't even begin to comprehend how nervous I am to post this chapter up. I rewrote it trice, because I wasn't satisfied with the outcome. So if you want to flame me, I understand...

I will be increasing the space between the chapter updates, but they will not be for long intervals. I promise, that it will never exceed two weeks. Cross my heart.


	4. Love's New Alleyway

**Warning**: If you haven't noticed yet, this story is declared in the genres of Romance and **ANGST **(ever since I posted the 1st chap). No good story goes without a climax. I will not elaborate, lest the plot is revealed. Therefore, I can only ask of you to trust in me as I take you on the ride of your life. If that much is possible, then read on… if not, I understand if you decide to stop following this story, but still, thank you for reading so far. This story will run 12 chapters long.

Thank you to my reviewers: **Mary S. Jane, Kitty Cullen** (special thanks for making me realise how important summaries are)**, Wings-chan,**** Anon. **I really truly appreciate your kind words.

This chapter is dedicated to **Wings-chan**, my new friend; and **Mary S. Jane**, my faithful follower. :D Here's to you both!**  
**

* * *

**A Game for Fools**

Chapter 4: Love's New Alleyway

* * *

The morning light shimmered through the holes in the tattered curtain and cascaded onto the two silhouettes lying under the blanket on the bed in the room of the dusty inn. Gentle cold wind blew causing the cloth to lift slightly and fall back down gracefully when it ceased. Sakura snuggled deeper into the strong arms of her lover seeking warmth from his bare heated body as he tightened his hold around her. She stirred, opening her tired jade eyes slowly to meet his obsidian ones. Giving a tiny smile, she nuzzled his neck, "Morning Sasuke."

"Hn…" He replied dropping his lashes back down. He was never a morning person.

Sakura propped herself on his chest and planted a kiss on his nose as he cracked open a sleepy eye to regard her. She was always chirpy and that was what he enjoyed most about being with her, not the dark, haunted person that greeted him when he first returned to the Konohakagure half a year ago.

The mission was completed two days ago and they have been away from the village for five in total. He had never known Sakura to be the conniving person she was when she proposed that they send a messenger bird to inform the Hokage that the mission needed to be extended due to _unforeseen circumstances_, specifically including that they did_ not_ require assistance and would be back within another two days. He was correct to say that she did intrigue him. They had sent that bird while they frolicked in the little town they found in the outskirts of Hi no Kuni and tomorrow they had to set off for home.

"Hn… Don't bother me…" He pushed her gently off him and turned away, returning to sleep and ignoring the sounds of sulking from behind.

Then she pressed her naked body against his back, crooning, "Wake up… Sasuke-kun…" She had inserted the suffix for added effects.

He ignored her and when he thought that she had given up, she began to trace her fingers lightly on his skin, sending shivers down his spine. Kissing and nibbling at the back of his shoulder blade, she made her way to his neck leaving a silvery trail in her wake.

He gave an irritated grunt. "We already did it last night. Let me sleep."

She paused with her ministrations. "Ya, I suppose it wouldn't be fair if the heavens made you elite on the fields and in bed as well. Something's gotta give." She teased.

That offensive allegation made him sit up on the bed, fully awaken now. He slammed both hands on the pillow on either side of her, effectively trapping her beneath him. Noir eyes stared fiercely into big green innocent ones. He leaned in and captured her mouth with his, hard. Her smooth hands tenderly caressing his back, pulling him closer into her and when his hardness brushed against her sex, she whimpered softly through low moans as they kissed.

No woman had ever dared insult his manhood and he was going to teach her the consequences of her misdeed. His fingers dug into the back of her thighs as he pushed her legs apart, allowing him access to her femininity. With a quick thrust of his hip, he sheathed himself entirely into her. She threw her head back, screaming from shock at the sudden intrusion to her sex and was appalled that he had completely omitted foreplay.

He began to move, rocking his hips back and forth; his member plunging in and out of her. Pushing her by her thighs as far as they could go towards her body, he maneuvered himself up on the bed, pulling himself out slowly inch by inch, till this length was almost free of her tight clutch, then ramming back in, seeking to force his way through her cervix. Her screams of pain and pleasure were like sweet melodies to his ears.

Closing his eyes, he allowed his body to take absolute control of his movements, enhancing the sensations he felt from within her.

Sakura watched, from the position he had her in, his length pumping in and out of her slick womanhood, splattering her dampness a little with every hard thrust. When she noticed that his eyes were closed, she smirked. Gathering chakra at her hands, she forcefully pushed him off her and straddled him down on the bed, stealing dominant authority from him. The scowl that had formed between his brows vanished the moment she started the roll of her hips, slow first, then gradually picking up speed. A low moan escaped his lips as his head tipped back, fingers gripping her thighs to try keeping their movements in sync.

Sasuke was astonished at how well she was holding back her release and even more so when he realized that he was reaching his before she even showed signs of the same. His breathing quickened and grew erratic with each passing second. "Sa… kura… st—."

She abruptly halted her movements just before his climax, lips curling to form a decidedly evil leer, "What was that, Sasuke?... Like I said, '_something's gotta give_.'" She reiterated her earlier statement with a mocking chuckle.

Lifting herself off him, she shifted to level her mouth with his organ that was lubricated with her moisture and before he was able to voice his riposte, her tongue made an experimental flick on his tip, sending a stimulating jolt up his spine. He let out an involuntary gasp that only served to amplify her confidence.

Lowering herself further down starting from his knee, she planted little nibs and kisses, slowly but surely making her way closer to his globes. Sasuke had wanted to grab her by her hair and shove his achingly huge shaft into that pretty mouth of hers, but she had moved out of reach so he fisted the sheets in anticipation of the much needed contact, only to be disappointed when she progressed back down to his other knee. Once again agonizingly worked her way up and ghosted over his manly rounds, deliberately exhaling a breath of hot air on his sensitive skin before closing her mouth over it. A hitched breath escaped him. God, this can't be the girl he once knew. This woman was a siren, luring him with her hypnotizing song of eroticism.

One hand grazing his body with her fingernails, the other pumping his shaft, and lastly her tongue roughing up his globes were dexterously sufficient to make him explode his contents all over her angelic face, shouting aloud as he did. Never in his life was anyone able to satisfy his insatiable desire during sexual trysts, but now he laid here, inanimate, on the sheets. She had blown his mind in more possible ways than one.

"Hmmm... Sasuke-kun... It isn't fair that you had all the fun..." She nudged his spent body after she returned from cleaning up.

He continued to stare at the ceiling in a blank state of mind, too exhausted with fatigue to even think of anything at the moment.

"Hora (hey), Sasuke..." She climbed to sit on his thighs and he didn't even bother to push her off, despite her bouncing up and down seeking attention. "It's my turn..." Her voice sounded like distant echoes to his ears as his eyelids grew heavy and he gladly succumbed to sleep.

The next thing he felt was a tingling sensation at his groin and his mind snapped into full alertness with all weariness vanishing instantly. Swiftly propping himself up on his elbows, he found her glowing green hand healing his inert organ and watched in sheer horror as it regained its vigor prior to release. "What the fuck? What the FUCK!"

* * *

Sakura ran her fingers through his dark midnight hair as he slept soundly due to overwork, admiring his slightly fair skin and handsome features. She gave a tiny smile which gradually became a grin when she thought of the fact that she had managed to wear him down, something she never thought anyone was capable of doing. Taking the flimsy cloth of a blanket, she covered his unclothed body and placed a soft gentle buss on his forehead. She finally knew that she had made the right decision when he muttered unconsciously in his sleep, "Sakura, don't leave me again…"

"I won't." She whispered not wanting to wake him. 'Happy' could not describe what she was feeling now. It was much more than that. The empty portion of her heart had been filled and she never thought it would be by the very person who tore it asunder.

Sasuke had made her promise to not worry about how to deal with Naruto, saying that he would take care of it. And that was precisely the cause for her worry. Men and their egocentric ways constantly eluded her. Sakura sighed, heavily, as the audible voice in her head told her to think about this at a later stage.

Rolling off the bed, she made her way around the room to collect their clothing that were scattered during the night's act of passion. She folded and neatly placed his on the corner table while taking and putting hers on before she quietly left the room.

The mid-afternoon sun was scorching hot against her coral hair when she emerged from the inn. The streets were bustling with people who seem to be preparing for an event. Curiousity always got the better of her, so she approached the closest vendor and enquired. "Sumimasen Ojii-san (excuse me uncle), is there an event going on?"

The shopkeeper looked up from behind his porcelain dolls. A work of art really. "Hai! You must not be from around here if you don't know that it's the annual Natsu Matsuri (summer festival) tonight."

"Oh I see. Thank you and... Those dolls are beautiful." She gave her brightest smile to the vendor as she waved goodbye.

She had forgotten how long ago it was since she had attended a summer festival. A vacation was what she sought and the heavens served it perfectly on a silver platter. Taking out her purse she began to count her Ryo, lips curling into a sly smile when she found she had more than enough. Tucking her purse back into her pocket, she sprinted down the streets.

* * *

When she returned to the inn two hours later, the Uchiha was still fast asleep. For someone so agile on the battlefield, it was amazing how much he slept. She sniggered silently as she approached the bed and sat herself beside him, quietly observing the rise and fall of his chest till he finally stirred.

Obsidian eyes opened halfway as he sat up on the bed and inspected her from head to toe, enquiring in a low tired voice, "Why are you dressed like that?"

"Do you like it?" She grinned, twirling around in her new light yellow yukata (summer kimono) with pink sakura blossoms and green leaves accents steadily regressing upwards from the hem. The green obi that held the material together complimented her glistening emerald eyes. Her strawberry hair was held in a neat low bun with a few strands falling down the sides to frame her beautiful face. She had topped it off with a white kanzashi (cloth flower) pin.

"Hn..." He lowered his eyelids again.

She ran to pick the bag she had brought back with her and shoved it into his hands. Sasuke eyes fixated themselves suspiciously on the parcel as if it was a bomb awaiting detonation. "Don't tell me..."

"Yup, you know it. So put it on or I'll do it for you" She smiled sinisterly, raising a blue chakra enforced palm to wave at him.

Sakura observed intently as he sighed and dismounted from the bed, the blanket slipping off his body to reveal his nakedness. What she found attractive about him was how comfortable he felt in his own skin and needless to say, his perfect taut abdomen with all six packs inclusive. Smiling sweetly, she made her way to his back, placing a sensual moist kiss on his shoulder before draping the simple navy blue yukata that faded gradually to black at the hem, over him. Shifting herself in front, she wrapped the material left over right and tied the obi to hold it in place. She neatened the folds and smoothen the fabric down with her palms.

All this time Sasuke watched her fixedly, absorbing very caress of her fingers through the fabric and relishing in the tender expression she wore on her face. He felt a tiny flutter in his chest. Is this how it feels to be loved? He couldn't remember. The last person who had showered him with such affection was his mother when he was only a child.

When she was done, she leaned in to meet his lips and he brought his hands up her back to embrace her. All the other times when he touched a woman, it had always been about lust, but this time, only with her, it was love and it surprised him, that he was able to finally understand what love is.

They lingered in the moment, jade gazing up into onyx. When an aberrant thought struck Sakura, she recoiled gently, "Umm... Sasuke. Are you not intending to put on your underwear?"

He had wanted to chuckle, much unlike his character and he was amazed at what she could do to him, yet he was willing to submit.

She waited for the answer that didn't come, so she continued, "The yukata is made of very thin cotton. If, unfortunately for you, the bright lights were to shine in your direction... you would be revealing much more than you would like." She paused, savouring the fading smirk on his features. "But I guess for you it'd be fine since you are pretty confident in your physical structure."

His expression by now was that of terror as he raced frantically to scour the room for his missing undergarment, not knowing that she had hidden it in the most obvious location - at his back, tucked between the obi and the yukata. Sakura tumbled onto the bed in a fit of laughter as he searched in futility.

He searched all the nooks and crannies and found naught. Then realizing that something was amiss from the way she was laughing, he made his way over to her, rasping in an angry voice, "Where'd you put it?"

She attempted to escape by rolling away, but he pinned her underneath his body before she could. Now with nowhere to run, she whimpered while giving him innocent puppy's eyes, "Sasuke-kun..."

"If you're not going to tell me, I'm going to use the Sharingan on you. Now out with it!" He grated indignantly to conceal the fact that he intended to turn the tables of the little prank on her.

"I... I don't have it."

His noir eyes transitioned to blood red and she screamed a pitch that could break glass, bringing her hands over to shield her face. He laughed and caught himself laughing; he had never laughed in years. It seemed to him that Sakura had given him a new lease of life.

She peeped through the gap between her fingers to ascertain whether it was safe to lower her hands and found him glaring at her, though the grin he wore made him look less harmful. With one hand still covering her eyes, the other worked its way to his back and tugged the garment loose. She dangled it in his face and he snatched it embarrassedly from her, racing to a corner to clothe his modesty.

Just as they were leaving the room, Sakura stopped and clutched on to him tightly, before speaking in a soft tone. "Sasuke... I haven't been this happy for so long and I want you to know that I'm grateful."

He didn't say anything in reply, but when he brought his arms hold her, she knew then that her feelings were reciprocated. She pressed her pink lips onto his in a lingering and passionate kiss, before closing the door behind them.

* * *

**A/N:**  
Ah... Love... *swoons*  
Sasuke's underwear! XD I deliberately left the colour out because I was picturing **Sponge Bob **on his crotch… Hahaha… What were you thinking of?


	5. Days to Remember

Hi people, last week had been chaotic from the natural disasters happening in Japan and I was feeling rather downcast about the whole issue. I would like to take this opportunity to have every reader who reads this chapter take a moment of silence in memory of those whom have been lost. Thank you for your understanding and may their good souls rest in peace.

On to our story. Thank you reviewers: **Wings-chan**, **Nimbafuu, Mary S. Jane, Neko the Kawatta Cat.** I love you so, so much...

* * *

**A Game for Fools**

Chapter 5: Days to Remember

* * *

The sky was an array of blue, pink, purple and orange as the sun was setting beyond the horizon when they exited the rackety old inn and the streets were overflowing with crowds of villagers parading in their yukatas. If one would have a view from above, one would have seen a myriad of colours, bright and cheery, corresponding with the nature of the event.

Sakura clapped her hands gleefully as a wave of excitement washed over her and as for Sasuke... the usual stoic expression was imbued onto his features.

"Don't be a wet blanket, Sasuke. Relax and enjoy with me, on our last night here. Please..." She pleaded, tugging on his sleeve like a child seeking attention. "Sasuke-kun... Onegai..."

He was surprised at how easily he was giving in to her whims especially when he looked into those big shimmering green orbs, all guard would dissolve away. Since infancy he was trained to be a shinobi; when he became one, he strove to be the best there is. What did that gain him? Only emptiness and painful memories and now he was nothing but only a man; one among many. This was the very effect she had on him, yet it was pleasing, to once again feel these emotions that makes a man vulnerable. No, tonight he will be human, the shinobi sleeps.

Sakura gave him her brightest smile when he nodded in affirmation to her request and giggled when she saw how flushed his cheeks had become. "Uchiha Sasuke's feeling shy? That's something new." Teasing as she interlocked her fingers with his and placed a tiny kiss on his jaw.

"Hn…" He mumbled turning his face away from her.

They followed the crowd to the entrance of Natsu Matsuri grounds. Numerous amount of stalls sold variant selection of goods, like toys, food, lots of food, and Sakura's favourite, games where there were prizes to be won. Her excitement was overflowing and Sasuke had to grip onto her hand to prevent her from patronizing every single stall they passed by. She dragged him to the first vendor that evening, selling syrup coated dumplings, her absolute love apart from the man she was with and bought two sticks.

While meandering through the throngs of people, Sasuke caught the sweet scent of tomatoes and in that instant he hauled Sakura, who emitted a meep of surprise while trying to take a bite of her dango, towards its source. Obsidian eyes lighted up in delight when he found his ultimate favourite finger-food.

She was horrified when the ebony haired male purchased five omusubi-s and five onigiri-s. _That made a total of ten!_ She nudged him after he paid the vendor, "Ne, Sasuke… Are you able to finish all that?"

He didn't respond because the only thing on his mind at the moment was to savour that he had not have for the longest time. Sakura swore she heard him hum with pleasure on the first bite and was glad that he delivered as promised, to enjoy the night with her. Leaning up, she pecked him on the cheek and grinned because he looked so adorable with his mouthful of onigiri.

"Kingyo sukui! Kingyo sukui!" A loud voice announced over the noisy crowd.

She ran immediately in that direction, slipping her hand away from Sasuke's as he followed closely behind, not bothering to hide the amused smile on his features. When he caught up with her, she handed him a 'poi' – a scoop made of thin flimsy paper, instructing him to catch a goldfish,_ if he could_. He smirked, accepting the challenge. Whoever caught the most number of goldfishes, according to Sakura, will have one demand fulfilled by the other.

The game master counted down, "San! Nii! Ichi!"

Sakura was aware that the secret to winning the game was patience. She dipped the poi, zeroing in on the closest goldfish all in a slow graceful movement and scooped it into her bowl, proceeding on to the next one. She eyed her opponent opposite her, who obviously lacked the necessary skills. Her lips curled into a tiny smile when Sasuke cursed the second his poi broke, signaling the end of the match. She had three and he two. All the Uchiha could say was "Hn…" and folded his arms to his chest. _Sore loser._

"Sasuke, as winner I would like you to carry me!" She declared and jumped onto his back, making him almost lose his footing.

"That won't work. Come to the front." He directed impassively.

She dismounted and moved to his front, grinning her 'winners' smile at him. He growled sarcastically and cradled her in his arms making her squeal loudly as he did. Brushing the noir forelocks away from his face, she planted a tender kiss on his jaw and he responded by kissing her forehead. Then he let her back down onto her feet, much to her dismay. "Hey… You're supposed to carry me…"

He gave a crooked smile to the pink haired female. "Hn... You didn't say for how long."

"Sasuke, I swear you are so nitpicky sometimes…." She hit him lightly on the chest.

They left the Goldfish Scooping stall and continued down the path, taking in the sights and sounds as they went along. There was really nothing significant left for them to do when they arrived at the end of the festival grounds, so Sasuke hauled her under the shade of a nearby tree, allowing her to nestle her back against his body while they sat on the grass. Sakura emitted a sigh as they sat in quietness, only relishing in the presence of each other.

A high pitched whistle broke the silence and the sky lighted up with the burst of multicoloured fireworks. Beautiful, but not as beautiful as the woman he held in his arms. Sasuke leaned in and pressed his lips against her neck and she tilted to grant him access before she tipped her head back to kiss him slow and deep. When they broke apart, she said, "Thank you Sasuke… I'll remember the times we shared together for the rest of my life."

"Why did you make it sound like we wouldn't be together after tonight?" He asked lifting an eyebrow.

She laid the back of her head against the hollow of his neck and shoulder. "I would like for us to be together. We… no, _I_ need to tie some loose ends first. You know, with Naruto..."

"Tell me, did you actually agree to marry him?" He tightened his arms around her, impressing on her that he did not like her being someone else's possession. She was his and only his.

"No, I didn't." She said in a low tone; then she narrated to him the entire account of Naruto's overdramatic proposal.

"Dobe…" Sasuke muttered under his breath, causing the woman beneath him to snigger.

Sakura repositioned herself to face him, bringing her hands up to frame his face and gazed into his midnight eyes with such tender affection he felt he could just melt away in her hold. "Aishiteru yo, Sasuke. I always have. I denied that fact for nine years and I finally have learnt to accept it again."

"Hn…" He replied.

"Is that all you're going to say?"

His cheeks took on a pink hue under the moonlight, it was evident to Sakura that he was blushing. "I- lo-u-to." He said it so quick it was hard to even comprehend a single word. So she frowned, exhibiting her displeasure. He caught on fast enough to utter again a little slower and a little louder than before. "I love you too."

"That's a good boy." She pecked his lips twice, before engaging him in a hot passionate kiss. "Shall we return to the inn?"

"Hold on." He muttered, taking her hand and placing something shiny in her flattened palm.

She picked and unraveled it to be a sliver bracelet with tiny red uchiwa (fan) and sakura blossom charms attached to it. Not removing her eyes from the token, she asked, "Is this for me?"

He nodded meekly in response. This was the first time in his entire life he had ever gotten a girl, or anyone for that matter, a gift. She was special, precious to him and he wanted her to know that.

"Kirei ne (so pretty)… Thank you, Sasuke-kun." She hugged him tightly and pressed a lingering kiss on his cheek.

Taking the bracelet from her, he fastened it around her left wrist, noticing that it augmented well with her cream coloured skin. She gave him a grin and he smirked in response.

He helped her to her feet and assisted her by dusting the loose blades of grass off her yukata. Then they embarked on a nice stroll back to the inn, hand in hand.

* * *

Returning back to the inn that night, Sasuke ravaged her. He wanted her so bad, it just ached not to. They burst through the door of their stuffy room in heated passion, slamming it shut behind them. He pressed her against the wall and peeled the fabric of the yukata piece by agonizing piece off her perfect body. The body he wanted to feel with his bare hands, taste with his tongue and make sweet love to. He thrust his hip forward giving her a feel of how hard she had made him by just writhing against his body. "Sasuke…" She purred.

The way she moaned his name was ecstasy in itself. It undid him. Forcing his mouth against hers, he kissed her so hard; it probably bruised her pretty pink lips. It wasn't as if he fucking cared right now. He wanted every inch of her, not a spot will be spared from his worship. Her tongue flicked his and he grunted a low animalistic moan against her mouth. His hands traced over her baby smooth skin from her thighs to her waist and now they settled on her soft mounds, molding them as gently as he possibly could in his sexual high. She broke from the kiss with a growl when his fingers closed in on the crowning peaks, sending a jolt of pleasure up her spine, body arching and brushing against his enlargement.

Sasuke shut his eyes tight. _Oh god... It's there already?_ This has never happened to him before; he was always able to control himself and his urge to release. Not even during his first time… but with her… with Sakura, it was _different_. He paused to breathe. Lifting her from the wall and carrying her to the bed, he let her lie while he unclothed himself so she may revel in his full glory. And well, to allow himself to cool off from her heated skin. He wouldn't want a premature ejaculation would he? _Hell no! _What _that_ would do to his oh-so-perfect ego.

He knelt on the side of the bed with full view of her delicate flower. She smelled so good it was making it difficult to focus. Fighting the desire to take her then and there, he shifted to plant little butterfly kisses on her abdomen crawling his way down south. His hands guided her thighs up as his lips ghosted an inch away from her sex. He was going to make her pay for the 'torture' she delivered twice earlier… Tonight was _his_ night.

Her fingers clutched the sheets in anticipation of the needed contact and she gasped when he emitted a breath of warm air against her already fiery center. Her breath hitched again when his mouth settled on her clit and flicked it. "You completely unoriginal bastard! You're just doing exactly what I did to you earlier." She hissed through clenched teeth.

"Hn… Precisely. Enjoy." He smirked, sliding his tongue in the slit of her swollen sex, earning him another gasp with fists creasing the sheets. His skilled muscle began to move, up and down, nice and slow in the soft area between her legs. His hands pinned her thighs against his shoulder so he could keep them in rhythm and so she had nowhere to escape. Not long after, she emitted sounds somewhere amid moans and cries, beckoning him to go faster. Then with a sudden jerk of her hip and a strangled shriek of his name, she came with his tongue guiding her through the orgasm. Her arched body collapsed back on the bed, chest heaving, seeking immediate recuperation from her breathlessness.

She lifted an exhausted face to him saying, "I hope you're prepared for what's next." Charging her hands with chakra she intended to grab him and throw him onto the bed, but he saw through it with his Sharingan. She felt a tightening in her core when her hazed emerald eyes met crimson, "God, those eyes... they turn me on..."

"It is my intention." His lips curled up on one side. Holding her legs up by her calves, he rubbed his tip against her outer folds of her slick womanhood, stroking her bundle of nerves. She sighed, disappointed when his slid his length away from her entrance and instead went between her thighs. Still holding her by her calves, he split her legs further allowing his organ to track upwards to her navel, leaving a wet trail in its wake and back down again, then repeating the motion.

Sakura was surprised that she was still able to think under the pressure of her lust, remembering that what men found most appealing was a woman who could touch herself. She smirked inwardly. _I got you now..._

His blood red eyes soaked in every expression she wore on her face as he teased and tempted her, not giving in fully to her desire, yet just enough to make her weak under him. Then he froze when he saw her hands move, tracing in a crawl over the skin of her neck, to her shoulders, then lingering at her breasts where she squeezed them and drawled seductively, "Sasuke…"

His heart skipped a beat in his chest and his ability to think was fading away. _What is she doing?_ On the battlefield, the Sharingan was effective for the prediction of an opponent's movements, but right now, if anything, it was only amplifying the effects of her actions.

She moved again, continuing down her ribcage, her taut abdomen, then her thighs, deliberately brushing her thumb against his moist tip. 'Kaboom!' went his brains. With a low feral growl, he pushed up her legs and plunged his length aggressively into her, filling her up to the core. She let out a cry, her sex straining to accommodate the size of his more than large member. He pumped and pumped into her, so hard as if it was attempting to penetrate into her womb. Her keen moaning was so pleasurable to his ears that they registered in his mind as coaxes for him to move as fast as he possibly could; faster to permit her her release.

Sakura signaled for him to lean over her and he obeyed. She brought her legs up to wrap round his waist as he continued to thrust in and out of her femininity. One hand fisted in his dark midnight hair, the other traced little circles on his hip with her fingernails. She lifted her head slightly and he closed his mouth over hers, locking in a passionate kiss. He did not realize that one of her hands had shifted down to her lower abdomen, until she pressed it, increasing the sensual pressure on his tip through her flesh. He broke from the kiss and hissed menacingly into her ear.

As if betrayed by her, he straightened to his full height away from her grasp and continued the rhythmic pounding into her. Her hands found their way to his thighs beside her and her fingernails etched painful red marks on his flesh, an attempt to hold out from the pleasure he was administering, while her beautiful breasts bounced in sync with his movements. He increased the perfect friction of both their sexes, receiving the moans and gasps from the woman beneath him as signs of affirmation.

"Sas-Sasuke." She called out as her core started to tighten.

"Give it to me, Sakura." He rasped with a hint of desperation in his voice.

More of his name found their way into her cries and not long later, she found her release. Her body tensed and all she saw was the blinding white behind her eyelids. The feeling of the orgasm he bestowed was overwhelming and it practically sapped the strength from her.

Sasuke's breath hitched when her walls of her inner muscles began to pulsate violently against his already sensitive member. Her body instantly arched back in her climax, delivering the one final stroke that lost him. He too found his release, the white fluids shot forth his tip and poured every last drop into her as he came down, trembling against her body from the pleasure of his high.

He remained inside her, wanting to stay as one and not wanting to be apart from her. Sakura had brought her arms to wrap around him, holding him as they rested against one another to regain their strength and to regulate their breathing.

After an extended amount of time, she gave a tiny yelp as he gently pulled out his member from her sex. He rolled over to lay beside her and ushered her to lie on his chest. She quietly complied. His fingers combed through her coral locks and played with the few strands that intertwined round his finger. He knew that he loved her and that she loved him back. All they had to deal with was Naruto, that _dobe_.

"Sakura…" He called softly as he pressed his lips to her forehead.

She cracked open her sleepy jade eyes to regard him, her nails tracing little circles on his toned chest. "Hmmm?"

"When we return, will you marry me?"

It was unexpected. She sat up on the bed, with eyes wide opened, peering at him in disbelief. Her exhaustion had disappeared instantly. He had just _proposed_. _Sasuke_ proposed. Proposed to _her_. The audible voice in her head was screaming 'yes, yes, yes!', but she knew well enough that it wasn't a decision that could be determined without careful thinking.

"Sa-Sasuke..."

He observed her and was unable to comprehend the frown on her face or the hesitation of her reply. His heart pounded rapidly in his chest and he sat up to join her. "Be my wife. We can have a family together."

"I…" She had turned her face away. Her thoughts were racing so fast that the answer to that question seemed miles away.

He felt uneasy that his fate now laid in the hands of another. Throwing his body back down on the bed, he spoke in tone so tender, it broke her heart. "I won't force you..."

She propped herself on his chest and his arm mechanically wrapped to caress her back. "Sasuke… You know I want to say 'yes'. Allow me to deal with one thing at a time first, ok?"

She was rejecting _him_. _She_ was rejecting him. Never in her life did she expect that she would _reject_ a proposal from Uchiha Sasuke, her first love.

"I'll wait." He mumbled with eyes closed.

"Huh?"

"I said, 'I'll wait'."

She shifted to rest her head on his chest, tipping her chin up to place a small kiss under his jaw. "Uchiha Sasuke, I love you and I _will_ marry you once the matter with Naruto is settled."

"Hn." Nodding indistinctly, he tightened his hold around her and watched her affectionately as her eyes fluttered close, drifting off into tranquil slumber, joining her a moment later.

* * *

**A/N: **I delivered as promised! A typical Sasuke proposal without going on the knee. Hawt SasuSaku sex, a little background on Japanese traditions, etc, etc…

**Review** and I'll keep the good stuff coming... Honestly, i _want _reviews for this chapter. Especially, this chapter... because this is my favourite.

Oh and check out my **Lemon-aid** 'stand' - a compilation of almost plotless, one-shots specially for lemon fans. Thanks! ^u^*

(Thanks **c00kies **for spotting the typographical error! I hate them typos with my life.)


	6. Dawning of Reality

Hi all! As FFnet is having some problems with the 'Story Properties' in the update section, I am unable to change the Summary information. This is **Chapter 6 **everyone. And today is Haruno Sakura's birthday! **Happy Birthday Sakura!** *claps*

Chapter 5 had the most number of reviews compared the first 4. You guys made me uber happy! :D

Thank you for your reviews: **Mary S. Jane**, **C.A.M.E.O.1 and Only**, **Etsune**, **Cherryjubliee**, **Wings-chan**, **Neko the kawatta cat**, **Raye**, **ExistentialGhost **(For 5 reviews. Thanks girl. XD), **J'ecris**... :D

* * *

**A Game for Fools**

Chapter 6: Dawning of Reality

* * *

Morning came sooner than expected the next day. They were wiped out from the night's fornication and sleep was, right now, the only thing that they needed. A bird had settled itself outside the window chirping incessantly, causing the sleepy Uchiha to curse. _Shut up!_ It tempted him to send a blade of compressed Chidori through the body of the little creature. Oh, what that would do – Yakitori (barbequed bird). He smirked.

Sakura remained still above his one arm and he brought the other over as he turned to hug her. The scent of her hair and body were pleasant to his senses. A stab of pain pierced its way into his heart, canceling out the drowsiness as reality dawned upon him. Today they were to leave for Konoha, where they have to return to being just friends, just teammates. He wanted so much more than that, but she was right. Tying the loose ends was top priority when that dobe return from his training. She has always been the rational one.

He propped himself up to plant a kiss on her cheek. She was not only beautiful, but also a perfect companion and he could see himself living with her for the rest of his life. She did say 'yes' to becoming his wife, he just needed to be patient. _Damn!_ Patience never came easy to him.

He hitched his breath when she stirred and turned over to face him. Her emerald eyes reflected the morning light so mesmerizingly that he wanted to whisk her away and make her officially his.

"Morning Sasuke... You're up early."

"Hn..." He mumbled.

A tiny grin formed on her face as she teased him. "Still grumpy though." She lifted to press her lips to his. Then she sighed. "I don't believe that I'm saying this, but... I wish we could stay here forever. Just the two of us."

"Let's." He responded so quickly it surprised her.

"We can't. We have a duty to our home. Plus, my parents will be devastated if they find out that I disappeared… and you, another one on your record would make it a conspiracy." She drawled solemnly. "Let's not to forget Naruto, who would search the ends of the earth for us."

"Hn." He smirked at her statement. He could imagine the chaos when news spread that he had 'defected'. _Again_.

Sakura dismounted from the bed, "Come on. We've gotta get going."

They both hesitantly suited up, prep their packs and left the room. She waited outside the inn for Sasuke to make the requisite payment for the four days they inhabited there, memorizing the landscape as much as she could. The time they spent here were the most blissful in her whole life and she wanted to record every single detail to memory. Fiddling with the bracelet around her wrist, she emitted a sigh of sadness.

Sasuke emerged from the shack and found her staring blankly at the surroundings. He was aware that she was doleful that they had to leave for his sentiments were exactly the same. The four days they spent here were wonderful, carefree and it made him realize how important she was to him. He did not want to let her go. Not now. Not ever.

Her back was to him when he encircled his arms round her waist, letting her rest her weight against his body. "Everything will work out fine, Sakura."

"I know."

He loosened his grip slightly to allow her to turn and embrace him. They lingered for a moment before finally breaking apart.

"Let's go." Sakura instructed with a hint of dismay.

They left. Sprinting through the path before them and through the forest greens, all the way back home to Konohakagure.

* * *

The sun was setting when they arrived at roughly four kilometers from the giant green gates. They had been on their feet the entire day and were nearing their destination earlier than expected. Sakura observed the man before her, assimilating his physic as he leapt from tree to tree. She was going to miss him; his touch; his kisses; everything about him.

"Sasuke…" She called out from behind.

He halted at the tree branch ahead of her and she jumped to join him. Without any warning he grabbed her into a tight embrace, not speaking a word, just basking in the feel of both their bodies against each other. Her hands found their way to his back to press him closer. _This is so difficult._ Tears trickled down her cheek and created little darken patches on his white gi as she muffled her cries into his nape. Bringing a palm to the back of her head, he stroked against her hair to comfort her.

When her sobs gradually diminished, she pulled away slightly from him and Sasuke thumbed the last tear that trailed down her moistened cheek. Lowering his head to meet his lips with hers, he kissed her with all the love he could shower her in that one final display of affection before they walked through those gates.

"I prefer you smiling." He remarked softly with a tiny smirk when their lips separated.

She gave him a gentle smile that made him fall in love with her a thousand times again. Intertwining her fingers with his, she led him in a delayed pace towards the path home.

* * *

Leaping down from the last tree into the clearing, the giant double doors came into view. A tiny figure of a person stood outside the gates, as if waiting for someone to return. Sakura was not able to make out the face from the distance they were apart, though the person's dressing was somewhat familiar. She had seen it somewhere before. _But where? _She released Sasuke's hand as a precaution.

As they approached, more of the stranger's features came into view. Red hair tied into a ponytail that matched the colour of her eyes, brown framed glasses, long sleeved lavender turtle neck shirt that split at the ends, failing to shield her navel. _So familiar..._ Her heart began to palpitate in her chest, when she thought hard to recall the suppressed memories. She halted abruptly and released a gasp of recognition. That was Sasuke's former teammate, _no_, subordinate, during his search for his brother. The one that Sasuke, himself, injured during the fight with Danzo. The one _she _healed. Karin.

She remembered that while Karin was brought back to Konoha for the sole purpose of interrogation, she had accomplished in escaping from captivity a few weeks later. Many haunter nins were sent to locate her with no avail. Karin was a sensory-type user, evading her pursuers would have been easy as pie since she had the advantage of knowing when she was stalked. That was years ago, the ANBU had seemingly abandoned the minor assignment to direct their much needed attention onto the war brought upon by Pein._ What was her purpose here now?_

Sakura turned to face Sasuke who stood beside her, staring daggers at the woman. His eyes had a gleam of hatred within them. _What was going on? _

Karin approached, taking slow strides in their direction. "So the rumours were true that you had returned to your village, Sasuke." She called his name in a low voice, repositioning her glasses up by the side of her right temple.

He hissed. "What are you doing here?"

Sakura was taken aback by his sudden loss of self-control. The anger in his voice was so evident that anyone would have felt it crawling under their skin.

"I'm here to talk." The red haired female answered in a calm tone.

"There is nothing I need to hear from you."

She flinched not to Sasuke's intimidating response and turned instead towards the trees on her left, calling out to someone. "Seijiro, come here."

Sakura watched in horror as a boy not more than the age of four came running towards the woman. This boy - ebony haired, midnight eyes, a splitting image of the man beside her. Her guts twisted inside her as her mind searched for any other possible and logical answers apart from the child being the offspring of her lover. _This can't be happening!_ Her hand creased the material of her vest above her heart feeling its hard thumps against her ribcage. She turned to face the shinobi, whose focus remained on the woman in the forefront, in hopes that she could find clarification from his features, but only saw the usual stoic unreadable expression.

"Sasuke." The crimson eyed woman spoke again. "This is your son."

"What?" Sakura enquired breathlessly, hands flying to cover her mouth. She felt nauseated as her heart sank to the pit of her stomach.

Sasuke continued to glare at the redhead, not responding to the unexpected assertion.

"Seijiro is your son." She repeated.

Sakura collapsed to the ground, legs unable to hold her up any longer. _What's happening?_ She did not want to hear the rest of the conversation, but yet she yearned to know the truth.

"What is this, Karin? Have you lost your mind? We had ne—." He caught himself mid-sentence and his eyes widened. "No…"

"Yes. It was that day." She corrected him.

"What the hell is this?" He shouted. "You only come _now_ to tell me that _I_ have a child?"

"When you attempted to kill me, I vowed that I would never find you again. I swore to never love you thereafter. Then I learnt later that I was two months pregnant from that one fateful day. A day I regretted every single day of my life. However, I do not regret my decision to keep him. He was an innocent party." She paused to breathe with fists clenched tightly. The little boy was peering out from behind her legs, frightened by the harsh loud voices around him. "My purpose is not to wriggle my way back into your life, but to provide my child, no, _our_ child with the father he needs."

Sasuke's heart was beating irately in his chest as his eyes traveled from Karin to the boy. An illegitimate child. He then looked down ruefully at the pink haired kunoichi on the ground, who was too traumatized to move or say anything. What about _her_? What about the life _he_ wanted with _her_?

"I hesitated locating you. I didn't until Seijiro began to question why he didn't have a father and why other children did." Karin seethed angrily, "Tell me, how was I to answer him? Should I have told him that his father didn't exist? That he died? Answer me, Sasuke!"

"I don't know!" He was at a loss at what to do, his attention not leaving the now sobbing female at his feet. He recollected that quarrel they had in the forest a few nights back. The painful truth hit like a blade cutting its way slowly through his being, that all he could give her was pain and suffering. _Sakura... _He knelt to cradle her in his arms, but she pushed him away. He caught a glimpse of her face and the expressions she wore - agony, hurt and woe, all at once. "Sakura, plea—."

"Don't. Don't make it worse than it already is." She struggled to speak between wracking sobs. When he grabbed her by her shoulders again, she fought harder, but he strove to hold her till she broke down again. Her body shook involuntarily as she managed to utter a broken, "leave me alone..."

All this time, Karin watched the drama unfolding between the two persons before her. She had recognized that girl immediately by her bizarre pink tresses when they emerged from the foliage. Sakura, the skilled medic of Konoha, who, during their last confrontation, she ascertained was in love with Sasuke. She gave a minute snort of disgust. "I don't mean to interrupt whatever you two are doing, but I need you, _Sasuke_, to focus on the issue at hand."

The ebony haired shinobi scowled at the redhead with menacing eyes, eyes that delivered the message 'be quiet'. He did not know how to deal with this. He needed time to think and he couldn't bear to see Sakura suffering from the pain that he caused. He was at a complete and utter loss; no solution could form up in his genius mind. His attention averted back to the pinkette when she shifted in his arms, her cries had quietened down as she regained her composure. Cupping her hands gently over his, she pried them with her strength away from her body yet cautious not to hurt him physically in the process.

Sasuke felt another painful pang hit him when he knew she had _given up_ on him again. He had lost her _again_ and he only had himself to blame. Straightening up to her full height, she took heavy steps towards the gates. Alone.

"Sakura." He leapt off the ground and raced after her, managing to grasp her wrist.

Her brows were creased in despair as she twisted and snatched her arm away, hissing through gritted teeth, "I said 'leave me alone'."

His heart broke as he watched her disappear through the gates. There was no way to salvage the situation. "I'm sorry..." He drawled softly, knowing that his voice would not _and _could not reach her ears.

"So what are you intending to do about your family?" Karin asked, not bothering to wait for him to simmer down.

"_My_ family? My family died a long time ago!" _Sakura was all I had left._ He blared out, turning to bore his self-activated Sharingan into her crimson orbs accusingly. "How would you prove that this child is really mine?"

Karin scoffed, taking offense at his subtle yet unsubtle implications between the lines. "I am not a whore, Sasuke."

"Hn, so you were not the one who threw herself at me when I was barely even able to determine what I was doing at that time?" He spat sarcastically.

There was truth in his statement and her eyes shifted to her feet as she moiled to contain herself. She spoke in a calmer tone. "He has your kekkei genkai."

Sasuke was taken aback, but he hid it well behind his expressionless features. He observed the boy who was partially obscured behind Karin's legs, taking in the information as fast as he could possibly absorb. _The child has the Sharingan. _"What would you have me do?" He asked.

She smirked, victory carried through every vein in her body when she realised he has succumbed to fate. "Take us into Konoha with you, we can start afresh. You, me and our son."

"Hn." He had turned to disregard her and walked towards the gates, not before stopping to inform her, "there will be nothing between us, Karin."

Scoffing again under her breath, she held the little boy by the hand leading the way into the village she never expected to return to.

* * *

It was completely unanticipated that she would walk into the village after the mission alone. Sakura had thought that he would be with her, like he said he would. _Circumstances have changed..._ She sighed tiredly as she arrived at the doorstep of her home. Her hand hesitated to twist the knob and it dropped back down to her side. Home was not a good place to be right now, especially when she did not want company. Turning, she proceeded away from the house.

She found herself walking, not to any particular destination, just simply walking. Her mind was blank; too exhausted to think anymore. Her body mechanically halted at a swing tied beneath a large tree and she sat herself down; kicking her feet gently to commence the slow swaying momentum. Her jade eyes focused on nothing and her tears had flowed till there were none left.

The days they shared together were beautiful, but now they will be only memories. _Painful_ memories. She was surprised that she was missing Naruto, yearning to once again experience his comforting hand and his unfailing love. He would never do anything to hurt her. She heard the soft rustle of footstep behind her. Knowing it was Sasuke, she did not turn to regard him as he stepped up beside her.

"Sakura." The way her name rolled from his lips held an evident feel of pain and sorrow.

She remained silent, kicking up her feet as the swing swung forward.

"I'm sorry."

"Where are they now?" She enquired, ignoring his apology with eyes lingering on the ground below.

He rushed to position himself at her feet, stopping the swing and gazed up into her orbs. "On the Uchiha grounds. Sakura, I—."

She turned to face something other than at him. "I don't want to hear it anymore, Sasuke. You have your heir now. You don't need me any longer."

"Don't fucking say that! _Don't _doubt my love for you." He reached his hand for hers, but she pulled away.

"That's enough." Her voice though calm had a hint of threat within it. She inhaled deeply and finally mustered the strength to bore straight into his midnight eyes. "I don't believe that you are in the position to talk of love anymore. You have a child."

"A child I didn't know about. You know I didn't plan this."

"My heart really hurts right now, Sasuke…" Tears that succeeded in forcing their way through her ducts dressed her eyes with an afflicted glimmer.

He could see how hard it was for her to soak the situation in and wanted so badly to hold her; comfort her; to tell her it was going to be alright, but he was unsure whether it would be himself. "Sakura, give me some time to sort this out."

"There is nothing left to sort out. You have your family and I will have mine when I marry Naruto."

Her last statement caught him off guard. No matter how he tried to hide his displeasure he was sure it leaked onto his features. "You can't marry that dobe."

"Once again, you are in no position to tell me so." She sighed and looked up to the blue sky. _Blue…like his eyes…_

Another stab of pain plunged through his heart as she unclasped the bracelet and held it out to him. He didn't reach for it. "Don't do this."

Instead she took his hand gently and she placed it on his palm as a single tear fell, wetting the bracelet and his skin. She folded his fingers closed before inhaling a breath and meeting his gaze for the last time. "Sayonara… Sasuke." She shifted to stand and took slow strides, leaving him behind.

He did not pursue after her. His heart ached intensely, knowing that he was the cause of all this. Maybe he should not have even returned to Konoha in the first place. He should have died in his battle with Itachi, if not earlier, during the massacre. It was just his damned luck that he brought only pain and suffering to the people he loved.

* * *

_Kiss me good-bye, love's memory  
Atarashii futari ni kawaru nara (If we both change into someone new)  
Kiss me good-bye, nakanai (I won't cry)  
Anata o aiseta kara (because I was able to love you)_

_~ Kiss me Goodbye by Angela Aki~  


* * *

_

**A/N: **For those of you who are unfamiliar with Japanese - 'Sayonana' means 'goodbye'. Used during instances when parties wouldn't see each other for a long time or in most cases, never again.

Oh, yes, I am fully aware that Karin doesn't wear her hair tied up in the anime/manga. However, I wanted to show that over the years her physical appearance had changed.

And yes, I just gave Sakura the worst birthday present she'd ever received. Bad Yuki! Bad!

**Review.**


	7. Silent Goodbyes

Thank you for your reviews: **Mary S. Jane**, **ImaFreak**, **APPLE**, **SectumSemprae**, **crazymel2008**, **J'ecris**, **c00kies**, **kitty cullen**, **Wings-chan**, **Neko the kawatta cat**, **ExistentialGhost** (I love ya too!), **annee loves sasusaku** (I love ya, twiny).

This chapter will be flowing in and out of flashbacks, but I've made it obvious enough for you to be able to differentiate between the present and the past.

* * *

**A Game for Fools**

Chapter 7: Silent Goodbyes

* * *

_I think of our time together. Is it fading or am I dreaming?  
Everything you said lives on.  
I cherish our memory. I wanna kiss your tears away tonight.  
It's hard to give up the one you never thought you'd leave._

_~ August in Bethany by Juliana Theory ~  
_

* * *

The obsidian eyed male clad in a slick black western suit, white shirt and red tie, all dressed up for this white veiled occasion coolly sauntered into the waiting room. Weaving a hand through his noir hair as he passed a mirror. He commented nonchalantly to the other male present, "Dobe, you're wasting time."

The blonde threw his right arm over his best-man. "Ease up, Sasuke-teme. It's not like you are the one getting married." He wore a complete set of white except for his tie that shimmered in champagne gold.

"Hn. Usura tonkachi." Sasuke muttered under his breath, hiding the fact that that harmless statement had stung deeper than he would like to admit.

When Naruto had requested for him to be his best-man, he plainly answered 'no'. There was no way in hell he was going to witness _his_ woman marry this idiot, but this... this freak pestered him every second of the day, even going to the extent of breaking into his bathroom while he was showering. He relented to save himself further torture.

His thoughts were interrupted when the timekeeper entered the room with his usual unenthusiastic look and hands buried deep in the pockets.

"This is so troublesome, but I've got to inform that you have to proceed to the main hall _now_." Shikamaru regarded the two men and shrugged. "Don't be late or we've got to deal with the women's scorn later."

The groom took a final look at his reflection in the mirror, dampening his index finger with his tongue and pinched the tip of a misplaced strand of hair to perfect it. Then putting on his outlandish grin, he instructed, "Alright. Let's go-battebayo!"

When they entered the hall, the guests had all arrived and were seated at their allocated locations. Everyone wore happy congratulatory smiles on their faces. The church was beautifully embellished, not a single nook or cranny was left undecorated. The aisle was lined with a red carpet and the pews of the benches ornamented with baby pink and white sakura blossoms. Truly a grand wedding as he had promised.

Naruto made his way to the front and his disinterested best-man positioned himself beside him. It began with the sound of the church organ blaring the 'Wedding March', signaling the entrance of the bridal procession. Music played melodiously for some time as the guests stood in anticipation for the bride, but the door remained closed and no one entered. The organist, after being signaled at by Shikamaru, played the song another once through, yet when it ended, there still was no bride.

Frantic footsteps were heard echoing through the elongated passageway of the chapel, then there was the sound of feet skidding to a halt and huge doors burst opened. "Bad news!" Ino, the bridesmaid, clad in a knee length pastel pink dress, paused to catch her breath before announcing, "Sakura... She's..."

All eyes were on her awaiting the completion of her sentence.

The platinum haired kunoichi continued, "She's gone."

A cacophony of gasp and rambles from all around were heard and now all eyes shifted to the groom whose smile had faded from his face. He raced forward to the meet the long haired blonde and grappled her by the shoulders, "What do you mean by _'she's_ _gone'_?"

Ino's gaze fell to feet and only shook her head in silent response.

* * *

_"A bride-to-be shouldn't be crying on the eve of her wedding." A familiar low and stoic voice came from beside her as she stood musing at nothing. She didn't have to turn to know that it was him._

_Sakura brought a shaking hand up to wipe the tears off her cheeks. "Sasuke, what are you doing here?"_

_"Finding you." He leaned his elbows on the ledge. "Had a hunch that you'd be here."_

_Emitting a sigh, she looked down at the tranquil waters of the flowing stream. This Red Bridge held so many precious memories of happier times. It always offered her a strange yet unfailing sense of peace and protection. Maybe it was all psychological, but it still served its purpose to provide evanescent relief from her turbulent life._

_"Sasuke… I'm getting married tomorrow." She said softly as though the fact had just dawned on her._

_Sadness resonated so clearly in her voice that it found its way under his skin. He reached a hand over to hold hers and she did not pull away like all the other times she did since after they returned from the mission. "I know."_

_They lingered in the silence. He, granting her all the comfort he could through the one physical contact of their hands._

_Her quiet tears started flowing again as she rested her head on his shoulder, the warm droplets created little dark circles on his grey sleeveless gi. "Sasuke… I know I shouldn't be saying what I'm about to, but I need you to know this before tomorrow." She paused and tightened her fingers around his. _

"_I… I still… love you."  
_

* * *

"Byakugan!" The silver eyed Hyuuga commanded his kekkei genkai into action. Chakra channels around his eye sockets protruded prominently from under his milky fair skin as he scanned the surrounding church grounds in search for the missing bride.

"What do you see?" Naruto grasped onto his black suit begging in desperation for him to divulge his observations, "Neji!"

"Hold on." He tugged at the infringing fists, freeing the creased material beneath. An irritated frown formed between his brows as his chakra enhanced eyes squinted to focus.

"Neji!" Another despaired call came from the blonde beside him.

He spanned his head left; then up and his colourless pupils shrunk as shock invaded his senses. What he saw was beyond words and a wave of despondency washed over him. However, he was careful to keep that expression under his impassive facade. "I found her."

"Where is she?" Naruto once again latched his fists onto his suit wrinkling the fabric.

He inhaled a breath before revealing the results of his findings, "The room in the highest floor. Naru—." The groom had sped off without waiting to hear the remaining words the Hyuuga had to say.

His best-man tailed closely behind him as they sprinted up the hoard of marble steps that shimmered pale chatoyant colours, much like that of a precious opal stone.

"Naruto!" Sasuke called after the blonde before him. "Calm down!" This was one of the few times he regarded him by his first name, solely because Naruto was acting on his impetuous inclination and was unable to think rationally. "Kuso!" He cursed when his counsel was left unheeded and the restive male continued forth speedily, tripping over a couple of steps before taking off again.

Naruto dashed across the quiet corridor of the fourth floor of the church, halting momentarily to violently thrust open every door in his wake. Echoes of her name reverberated through the elongated passageway as he yelled tirelessly in search for her.

Arriving at the last and final room on the level, he reached out a quivering hand to wrap round the knob. Sasuke had caught up with him and positioned himself behind as the blonde twisted the silver handle in his palm. With a heart racing miles beyond a normal rate, Naruto cracked the door open, calling out, "Sakura-chan?"

It was empty. Never once was he rewarded with a reply as he took large strides into the room and collapsed onto the maroon carpeted floor, distraught and exasperated by fruitless searching.

Sasuke's keen senses detected the faint sound of running water from the adjoining bathroom and he bypassed the deflated male, making his way to the opaque sliding door. Obsidian eyes widened with horror at the sight that greeted him. _This can't be right_. He brought his hand to rub down his face in disbelief. _No..._

He found her. Drenched coral hair spilled in thick strands as her head tipped limply over the thin ledge of the white bathtub. Her right arm dangled loosely over the edge as droplets beaded together and rolled off her fingers onto the ochre tiled floor. A few inches away from her hand laid a toppled glass vial with only a coated drop of suspicious semi-concentrated purple liquid left remaining. The overhead shower pelted water incessantly down onto the white bathrobe she wore and onto the rest of her unconcealed blanched skin. She was not breathing.

He rushed to her side and turned off the faucet.

"Sakura." Cradling her head in his arm, he patted her moistened cheeks lightly with his free hand, in an unsuccessful attempt to rouse her. Her skin was so cold to touch and her beautiful pink lips had now turned livid, a hue of blue mixed with a tint of ashen grey.

He carried her wan, pallid body out of the tub and propped her up against his own on the floor. Her eyes were closed as if she was only sleeping peacefully, embarking on a wonderful journey of dreams. With a gentle thumb, he lifted her left eyelid then her right and found the once glistening emerald of her eyes to have misted into dirtied olive green. "Answer me." He let out another desperate call. "Sakura."

"Te—." Naruto stop short at the door, and fell to his knees. "Sakura-chan..." He crawled over and reached out a shaking hand to touch her, ascertaining for himself whether what he saw was real. "What... No…" He broke down, burying his face in his palms as he crouched over her limp body. "No!"

Sasuke ignored his grief-stricken teammate's cries and brought a hand to brush the misplaced strands of her pink hair off her flawless face. She is so beautiful.

Self-accusations and questions that he would never find the answers to began saturating his mind. Why did she have to take her life? She could have agreed to just run away with him. This was entirely his fault. He shouldn't have returned to Konoha. He shouldn't have made her love him. He was a condemned soul in the heavens, never allowed to find happiness on his earth. Now… now… as punishment for his wrongdoings they took _her_ from him. _Kuso!_

He choked back his tears that threaten to burst forth, splashing a rain of exacerbated droplets as he slammed an anguished fist down on the water-logged floor beside him.

"Sakura… Why?" He leaned his lips against her forehead, which parted to reveal his clenched teeth beneath as a wave of sorrow flooded his senses. He couldn't hold it back no matter how hard he tried; the tears seeped through his tightly shut eyes and fell onto her already sodden skin as he emitted suppressed doleful sobs against her temple.

* * *

_She lifted her head when he shifted to turn and face her, then he pulled her into an embrace. He could feel her petite, lissome body quivering beneath him in attempt to contain her teeming emotions. Pressing a palm to the back of her head, he whispered into her ear, "Let's run..."_

_He released his hold on her slightly to allow her to look up at him. Her emerald eyes reflected in the moonlight, beautiful yet solemn. "We can't. You have a fam—." _

"_Don't say it." _

_She was taken aback at the sudden interruption, not aware of what she said wrong to make him upset._

"_This was the reason why searched for you." He obsidian eyes softened into a tender expression as he planted a kiss on her forehead. "Karin is gone… and so is _that_ boy."_

_Her brows crinkled into a puzzled frown, and her hands moved to grip his biceps gently. "_That_ boy?"_

"_She's a lying witch. That _boy_ was her in high level bunshin, in a henge."_

"_I… I don't understand."_

"_Karin was sent here by Kusagakure, the Hidden Grass Village. The officials had learnt about the time she was a part of my team during my defection and used the information to their benefit. Her mission here was to extract the Sharingan. Whether it was my eyes or my seed."  
_

"_What?" A hand flew to cover her gaped mouth. "That's scandalous! If Shishou hears about it, this could lead to another war. Where is she now?"_

"_Buried in my backyard." He answered, unflinching. He was always brutal when dealing with enemies, but was never one who takes lives unnecessarily. However, this time it was personal, more personal than anyone would ever be able to comprehend. He had, without a speck of doubt, made her suffer long and slow before slaying her._

_Sakura was surprised that she was able to take the information in better than she expected. Maybe because she felt that the redhead was responsible for the situation Sasuke and herself were in. Had she not come along, things would have played out a whole lot differently._

_He was still seething when he cursed, "They are fools to think that they could get to me."_

_"Well… She did manage to get pretty far…" She stated a matter of fact._

_"Hn." Sasuke mumbled._

_Sakura chuckled on seeing his adorable expression and he smiled back. The first sincere smile she has seen since, what seemed like forever. His lips were so tempting… She discovered herself leaning in and pressing her lips to his in a chaste kiss, which gradually became sensual yet not lustful. She missed him, his love, his touch, his kisses and his taste, every single bit of him._

_When she managed to get a hold of herself, she pried her lips away, chest heaving to catch her breath. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't ha—."  
_

_He kissed her again and she responded, deeper and longer than the last. "Sasuke..." She struggled to speak between kisses.  
_

_He broke away from her lips. "Run with me. We can live together peacefully, away from all this."_

"_I can't…" She turned away. "It's too late now."  
_

* * *

The atmosphere was tense and solemn as teammates, teachers, friends and family gathered themselves in neat rows, organized in priority and echelon of their relationship with the deceased, on the burial grounds. Faint cries and sobs were evident among the grieving guests, all clad in black, as they paid their last respects to the ill-fated child of the Harunos.

Sasuke stood at his place beside, Neji, at the row with the Konoha 11, noir eyes never once leaving his feet. Sakura, his lover, his life, had gone with the wind. Despite their brief time together since his return, she had changed him; made him into a man he never knew he could be; a man who was able to love. He swore that if he could change the past he would love her right, from the very beginning.

He glanced up when a loud wail came from Mrs. Haruno at the front as the box in which she lay slowly descended into the earth below. Her coffin was the colour of snow; white, as pure as she was; adorned with flowers, red, pink, their stems and leaves green, her favourite colours. _Sakura…_ A tear trailed down his cheek.

Naruto who stood beside her parents, too, had collapsed lamenting the loss of his fiancé, grass and flowers crunching under the pressure of his knees. Sasuke knew that the blonde was more brokenhearted than he was mournful; the aftermath of her taking her own life on the morning of the wedding had left him devastated, he thought only for the sole reason that she had rather die than spend the rest of her life with him. He remained oblivious to the relationship Sasuke and Sakura had and probably will never learn of it.

The blue sky faded to grey as angry dark clouds rolled in, blocking out the evening sun. A strong gust of wind and the hissing sounds of the approaching rain swept across, moving from the thick foliage of trees on the right, over the crowd and past them, before the flood gates of heaven opened, pouring out concentrated heavy droplets onto the earth beneath, bemoaning the loss of a fallen angel.

He felt remorseful. He was the cause of all the pain this team suffered. He was damned; no good will ever come out of him. This was his curse.

* * *

**A/N: **A little twist last chapter, a twist this chapter and a larger twist coming up next that will string everything into perspective.  
Just a reminder that this story will run **12** **chapters**. So hang in there for the next installment. Everything will be fall into place. **Trust in me.**

I didn't want to delve into how Sasuke would 'live' his life with Karin, basically because I want the story to focus on only the couple. Thus, the timeskip.

I won't be asking for critiques this chapter, but if you want to I won't stop you.


	8. Vindication

Thank you for your reviews: **annee loves sasusaku** (for so many. x_x TWINIES! *glomps* XD), **ImaFREAK**, **tsuchiya-sama**, **Wings-chan**, **kitty cullen**, **Mary S. Jane**, **puzzled piece** (for 4 reviews), **Izzy**, **Neko the kawatta cat** (I'm glad I got more than an 'update soon' this time. :D Thank you.), **ShadowFax100**.

I shall dedicate this chapter to **ImaFREAK** and **Neko the kawatta cat** because... Just because. Thank you for your reviews. This is for you both. Enjoy. :D

Thank you all for trusting in me. I love you.

* * *

**A Game for Fools**

Chapter 8: Vindication

* * *

A first palpitation of the heart within the ribcage.

_Breathe..._

A crinkle of the brows above shut eyes.

_Breathe..._

A twitch of a finger.

_Breathe..._

A startled, deep inhale of stale air filled her lungs as consciousness returned and the darkness greeted her wide opened eyes. Her heart worked overtime to pump racing heated blood through her veins, eradicating the numbness of her body due to the consequence of the comatose state she was in. She laid in wait for her optic nerves to adjust slowly and she began to be able to discern the lesser colours around her.

_'Maroon interior. Not bad...'_ She smirked at the thought. With her palms, she smoothened out the material that lined the sides, feeling the texture on her skin. _'Satin...'_ At least her parents gave her a more than passable coffin. She would have died happy. A small laugh escaped her.

The brush of rough fabric against her hand made her realised that they buried her in her wedding gown. Naruto had purchased a white gown that flared out at her hips and cascaded down gracefully to cover her feet. It was a gown fit for royalty. But to her, it was meant to be worn for someone else; she was not made to be with him. That much was clear as crystal.

The suspended animation potion had worn off and left no internal side effects to her body. Or at least, that was what she prayed for when she had calculated the risk of her actions. Hopefully the external would be in just as good a condition. She only had her brilliant proficiency as a medic to be grateful for. Concocting the potion through the night, at the hospital, without getting caught, was no easy feat, but she had managed.

Her joints popped loudly in her ears as she stretched her stiffen arms and legs in the terribly confined space, releasing a satisfied moan of relief as she did. If all went as planned then she was a free bird, with no allegiance to any land. Now all there was left to do was to break out of her earth prison and find him.

She wondered how he had reacted to her plot when she had planted the coded message in his house at the break of dawn. He wasn't home at that time but she was sure he would have gotten it. Though preferably reading it before the wedding, then the shock of her supposed death would not be so great.

"Alright. Let's get out of here." She uttered a whisper to herself.

She brought her left hand to shield her face from the anticipated debris and dust while charging her right fist with chakra. Inhaling then holding her breath, she slammed the fist through the wooden box and the loose earth above sifted in. If she was able to speak right now, she would shout 'Shannaro', but she could not. Not hesitating further, she shut her eyes and pounded violently at the soil with both hands. She managed to free her body to sit in an upright position.

_'There is no way to breathe, so lungs don't fail me now.'_

Bracing herself again, she allowed her chakra to also flow to her legs, fighting against the soil to position themselves under her, granting an added boost of power. Her arms rose to allow the ground above to part as she kicked up, bursting through the surface and landing on her feet, before wobbling unsteadily and tumbling onto the grassy land of the burial grounds.

_'Damn!' _Her joints were still weak from lying for too long. She massaged her legs with her palms and healed the lax muscles.

The temperature was practically ten truckloads cooler than within that funerary box and the air was fresher above ground, she never thought she would miss the way it entered her lungs. Sometimes in the midst of life, the simple yet most essential things went unappreciated. If she were charged in court on those counts, she would have readily pleaded guilty. She swore then that she will cherish them every day with the fear and reverence they deserved.

The moonlight was illuminating off the numerous marble tombstones in this ominous necropolis. She never liked being here. Maybe because her mother used to tell her horror stories of zombies breaking free from— _wait a minute..._That was what she just did. She emitted an amused chuckle.

Climbing onto her feet, she walked towards the porthole she had created. If she left it like this, people would think that a grave robber had found his way into Konoha or worse, if they were to find out that she was actually alive. It was too suspicious, so she laboured to conceal the chasm with the loose matter surrounding it. Not before tearing her gown till the material covered up to only her knees and throwing it together with the pearl white shoes, that were now not that white, into the pit. She patted with her palms to settle the earth at the peak when she was done. Her 'new' grave looked almost as chaste as the one next to hers, no one would know that it had been disturbed.

Her forest green eyes squinted in the dark as her fingers ran over the impressed epitaph on the stone marker, making out the inscription. Her heart grew heavy with guilt.

'_Haruno Sakura  
Prized kunoichi  
Daughter, lover and friend  
You will always remain in our hearts'_

"Sorry… I truly am…" She uttered with tears trailing down her cheeks, washing away the dust that soiled her face. Taking one last look at her grave and gently stroking the head of the marble, she said her last goodbyes to her family and friends, then she turned and left.

He should be anxiously waiting for her by now. She could see it playing out in her head, she running to him, telling him that she was finally willing to elope and spend the rest of her life as his soul-mate as she sprinted through the quiet streets in the wee hours of Konoha's morning.

* * *

Sasuke stumbled through the wooden sliding door of the house his parents had left behind when they were unjustly murdered, making his way deeper into the passageways and into the garden. He waddled unsteadily though the sea of unkempt and overgrown weeds in the once lush lawn. He had not returned since that fateful day his older brother massacred the entire clan on orders, leaving him as sole survivor. Did he miss it? No.

They had laid her to rest earlier in the evening, on the same day she was to be married. He would have tried to console Naruto if only he wasn't as distraught by the loss as the blonde. He had proceeded out to drink his misery away thereafter, but all it did was kept him sober like a placebo. No amount of alcohol in his system was able to extinguish his agony. That was when he thought that he should return here to find solace through greater amount of pain. A typical shinobi's oxymoron.

Tonight the moon was full, as round as a ball. The soft grey played on the surface of its complete circle mixed with the pale glow of white, painted into an ornate masterpiece, beautiful not only in the eyes of the Creator but also those who were to look up in awe of its grandeur. Though, _tonight_, it served to remind him of the day that changed his entire life; the day his priorities changed, his goals, even his character, but he recovered from it all when she anchored him back down to earth.

He did not want to move on. He did not want to forget her. He loved her and she loved him back. She was his missing rib, the counterpart to his soul. Now that she was gone, all that remained was void, painful emptiness in his heart, this same heart that he tried to reach with his hand through his flesh, creasing the material of his white shirt, which he had not changed out of from the wedding.

"Sakura!" He let out an anguished outburst, collapsing onto the ground below his feet and curling with his legs close to his torso. "Why?" His clenched fists pressed against his shut eyes and his teeth ground to suppress his escaping tears. "Why…"

* * *

She treaded silently on tiptoes pass the house whose inhabitants were still awake, making sure that no one noticed her shadow as she slipped away continuing down the path to her destination. She could not afford to be caught now… now that she was so close to freedom.

Sprinting with her shoulders leaning forward and arms falling back behind her, she picked up speed and leapt into the air, hopping from rooftop to rooftop on nimble bare feet. From a distance, she spotted the Uchiha grounds. It stuck up like a sore thumb in the night, due to the lack of lamplights. Apparently, the logistic counsel of the Konohakagure Administration Department mentioned that it was not worth the Ryo to light up an entire precinct for one resident and Sasuke, couldn't be bothered with politics, so he lived with it. He never needed the light to begin with.

She halted outside the entrance to the infamous area that was currently still restricted to public entry, save for one Uchiha and his 'family', which, according to their last conversation, were laid eternally to sleep in the backyard of his home. Though she wouldn't like to admit that she did stalk him on several occasions to be able to know where his house was. What was a heartbroken girl in love to do? She had wanted to see how he was progressing with his 'family', but her surveillance never resulted in any fruitful findings on the said progress.

Inhaling deeply, she took her first step through the large opened arched gate and the encompassing darkness swallowed her like a shroud of thick impermeable black fog. She rotated her head, left to right, to survey the surroundings and was able to distinguish the smooth silhouettes of houses and shops. A chill traveled down her spine and her hairs stood on ends when she thought about the bodies that were slain on this same street. How does one live under such conditions? She brushed her anxiety aside and proceeded hastily locate his house.

She relied heavily on the pale moonlight to maneuver through the winding roads of the Uchiha grounds. During times like these, she wished that she had trained her other senses better, but now was not the time for regrets. She made a left turn at the former grocery shop and another left by the small house. Moving on straight and making a last right, she arrived at his doorstep. The lights inside were switched off. Maybe Sasuke was already asleep... She smiled reminiscing how handsome and adorable he was when he slept. It was like nothing in the world was a care to him, only sweet dreams.

She walked up to the sliding panels and slid the wooden door open, darkness, darker than it was on the streets, greeted her. The moonlight was blocked out by the walls, only spilling in from designated windows by the sides. It was quiet except for the creaking floorboards beneath her bare feet as she explored his house in search for his bedroom. He was probably someone who would place hidden traps to hinder intruders so she had to be cautious, dying now would make her the laughing stock of all heaven... _or_ hell.

She cracked opened the door to her right. It was the bathroom. Wrong door. The next was the kitchen and dining area, then came a bedroom. It was empty. She continued down to the last door up front and twisted the knob.

"Sasuke?" She whispered as she peered into the room. It was another bedroom, bigger than the last. In the middle was a king-size futon (Japanese mattress), the pillows and blanket neatly folded, propped up against the wall. He was not there. Then where was he?

She sighed and walked into his backyard, towards the obvious pile of dirt that had been recently disturbed. _Karin..._She stood in silence before the unmarked grave of the unfortunate casualty of a failed mission. She wasn't mourning nor grieving; she was just paying homage to the dead. Even though Karin was a kunoichi and an enemy, she, too, was human and humans were made to eventually die, if not sooner then it was later. Now they were equal. She only did what was humanly expected of her.

Not wanting to stray any further from her personal mission, she proceeded out again. Worry began creeping into her mind. She rushed out to the entrance where she had left the note and found it still lying atop the side table where she had left it. Maybe Sasuke had not receive the message. What if he does something foolish? There was no one she could go to for help. She was supposed to be dead, remember? She had passed the Red Bridge along the way here, so he definitely wasn't there. Where else could he be?

She sprinted out to search the Uchiha precinct in hopes that he would be in the area.

* * *

He laid within the thick sea of overgrown grass, limbs sprawl in all directions, looking up at the sky above. The tears had stopped some time ago when his ducts had none left to spare. Thin wispy clouds merged with the colour of navy midnight sky, creating a lighter shade of blue as it drifted pass to destination unknown. Where do they go to? Would they find be happy when they find their hearts' desire? He knew that he would be, if he were a cloud, but right now, his destination, his heart's desire, was lost forever.

This was different compared to the time of the massacre, during which, he had been given a goal and a drive. He had a reason to live, even if it was merely for vengeance sake. It was different now. He felt like dying. Yes, maybe ridding this world of one cursed being would be doing it a great favour. They don't need him. They don't need someone who only brings calamity and harm to the ones he love.

He lowered his noir lashes for a moment and a vision of her immaculate face formed behind his lids. He recollected the sparkle of her jade eyes, the taste of her lips and the touch of her skin at the Red Bridge last night. He was so sure then that she would be his forever. He was a fool, a fool who believed that the heavens had forgiven him for his trespasses. They should have taken him instead of her; he was the damned one, not her. She was the angel, pure and chaste.

His right arm lowered to his hip and his fingers reached into his pocket of his black pants. He did not want to think anymore, he wanted to be free, just like she was. Skin brushed against metal, seeking the tourniquet for his troubles. Like any shinobi, he was armed with at least a single weapon at all times, regardless the situation. Hooking his index finger in the ring at the end, he fished it out, placing it flat between his palm and his diaphragm. He would have never guessed that things would end like this, with him taking his own life. A smirk formed on his lips as he lifted the kunai by its hilt, positioning the pointed end between his ribcage.

With a quick exhale and hitching in the remaining air in his lungs, he plunged the kunai into his flesh. He didn't flinch, although the pain seared through this entire being. His mind was screaming, yet nothing escaped his lips. Dropping his hand back to his side, he waited for death's slow lullaby.

"Sakura, I'll meet you in the next life."

* * *

_I let go of you like a child letting go of his kite.  
There it goes, up in the sky  
There it goes, beyond the clouds  
For no reason why, I can't cry hard enough  
No, I can't cry hard enough, for you to hear me now._

_~ Can't Cry Hard Enough by Bellefire ~_

* * *

**A/N: **TT_TT I love this chapter...

Ahhh! Annee, you guessed right! You have earned yourself a special backstage pass to meet Uchiha Sasuke in my closet! *cheers and hands tickets* x_x It's not like you don't already have him. "Itachi... I miss you..." TT_TT

**Review please.**


	9. Aisuru Hito wa Sukuwareta

Thank you for your reviews: **ImaFreak**, **Reiko**, **J'ecris**, **tsuchiya-sama**, **7HeartandSoul7** (for 2! ^_^), **Akiko Suzuki** (for 2! :D), **Mary S. Jane**, **Neko the kawatta cat** (Yup!), **Wings-chan** :D, **ExistentialGhost** (Ahh! For 2! 3:), **Carmie-chan** (Thanks!), **fuu-nk**.

I shall not keep you all at the edge of your seats, so here is the next chapter! Enjoy.

* * *

**A Game for Fools**

Chapter 9: Aisuru Hito wa Sukuwareta

* * *

Exactly how long he laid there was unclear, but he knew it was long enough for his body to have succumbed to numbness. He could not feel his legs, even when his brain sent signals demanding movement, they remained stationary. The blood from the wound had thoroughly soaked into his white shirt, painting it an angry crimson and spilled down the sides onto the flattened grass beneath.

"Sasuke!" A voice. It sounded far away, like an angel beckoning him. The pleasant dreams were already beginning. He smirked feebly.

Once more, the voice tainted with desperation and worry. It was approaching. "Where are you?"

_Sakura?_ His eyelids flew open and his ears concentrated to listen for the voice. Death's hallucination, maybe. There it was again. It sounded like her, but how can it be? She was _dead_. He had held her pallid body in his own arms.

"Sasuke!" It was moving away now.

He parted his lips to call out her name, but cough out the blood that percolated into his windpipe instead. _Sakura, wait! Kuso! _He wanted to move his hands, but they laid limply beside his body. This reminded him so much of the time his limbs were stiff and refused to move on command, when he stood outside the room of his parents on that fateful night, right of where he was laying now. _Move, move! _The audible voice in his head was shouting, pushing him to endeavour.

His fingers twitched, finally responding to his authority. Lifting trembling hands, coated red and slick from his own blood before him, he made languid seals. _Horse, tiger, ram... _If he were on a battlefield, he would have been long dead by the time he finished the incantation. _Monkey, boar, horse…_ The energy of his chakra churned inside his chest. _Tiger!_ With a deep inhale of air, forcing through the blockage of his windpipe and ignoring the sting of the embedded weapon, he kneaded the chakra within and expelled it in a powerful exhale of fire. _Katon: Gokakyu no jutsu!_

The giant orb of roaring flames, as bright as the sun, catapulted at an amazing speed into the cool midnight sky, illuminating and banishing the darkness within its reach.

He broke into a fit of agonizing coughs as the blood flooded back into his trachea, chocking him and trailed out from the side of his lips. The jutsu had taken up more energy than he had estimated and it was rare for him, Uchiha Sasuke, to err, but using the technique was necessary. Coldness crept into his body and he lowered his eyelids, praying that she will come. _Sakura… _She has to.

* * *

She spun around immediately when she heard a low rumble and was shocked to see a great sphere of orange and red shooting into the heavens. A scalding gust of wind blew past her as she brought her arms to shield her face. Hurriedly, she jumped up onto the rooftop of the house closest to her for a better view. She recognized it instantly to be Sasuke's signature Katon jutsu, which he readily used in times of trouble. It hovered for a moment before disintegrating above the property ten rooftops away, roughly, a mile from where she stood. She had just covered that area and must have missed him when he was calling out to her.

Racing hastily, she leapt from rooftop to rooftop to that residence, shouting his name as she went along. She was not familiar with the house that the technique was shot out from and neither had she seen him enter the premises during the times that she had tailed after him.

Berthing on the rooftop of the property, she surveyed the area for anything that was amiss and found none. The garden was an ocean of verdant weeds and overgrown shrubs. However, it was nothing unanticipated since all the other houses she scoured had lawns in similar conditions.

"Sasuke!" She shouted. "Are you here?"

No response.

She leapt down onto the ground below, landing on the wooden floored patio. Where did the Gokakyu come from? He had to be here. She paced around the property, checking every room for his presence, but he wasn't there. Returning out to the patio, she slumped tiredly to the ground, bringing up bent knees to her chest and burying her head in her arms. Where could he be? She could not help but think that this was her fault, that she should have informed him of her plan in person, instead of leaving a message at his doorstep. Tears stung behind her eyelids, threatening to overflow.

Then she heard it, a soft moan. She lifted her head to full alert, eyes scanning the unkempt grassland. A cough. She immediately jumped off the platform and into the ocean of tall weeds, calling out to him as she swam her way through. "Speak to me!"

Pushing the stalks out of her way, she searched for him. Something was wrong, she just knew it. The sight that greeted her eyes shocked her and her heart stopped beating for a moment. There, lying in a pool of his own blood, like a layer of scarlet silk sheets, Sasuke was unconscious. She rushed to his side, taking a hand into hers and begged him to respond. He didn't.

Brushing the mussed raven forelocks that stuck to his face, she then cupped his cheek with her palm, unintentionally smearing the dried rust coloured blood with her thumb. She leaned her forehead against his, tears fell from her eyes and onto his pallid skin. He was cold to touch. His chest only raised slightly as he inhaled strangled breaths and the sound of the blood in his trachea vibrated sickly with each one he took. She knew was going to lose him if she did not attend to his wound immediately.

_Ok, focus._ Letting the medic side of her kick into action, she charged her palms with chakra. Luminescent green emanated from her hands as she lowered them to access the damage sustained by his body. The kunai had punctured a lung and the blood had completely filled up that lung and had proceeded to flood its counterpart. He was literally _drowning_ in this own blood. Time is of essence. She cursed, feeling responsible for the state he was in. Oh how she had wanted to close her eyes and make everything better with a snap of her fingers, but she knew it wasn't possible

Once again, reprimanding herself to concentrate on the matter at hand, she wrapped her fingers around the hilt of the blade. She hitched her breath, plucking up courage to continue with the procedure. She had done this more than a thousand times over when she had her shifts at Konoha Hospital and during those times, she was never nervous, but now, _right now_, she was. She cannot bear to lose him again, especially not when she was the cause. He did not even stir when she yanked the weapon free from his wound and pressed her healing hands against the gaping hole in his chest, wetting her hands crimson and slick. She watched from the side in all anxiousness as the arteries and tendons reconnected and the flesh sealed leaving no scar behind.

Yet wake he did not and erratic was the rhythm of his breathing.

She did not stop the flow of her chakra into his body, knowing that the internal bleeding had not subsided. Tears fogged up her vision again and she brought a hand to wipe it away before resting her head against the back of her palm for a brief moment of quiescence to gather her thoughts together when she realized that his chest had still beneath her palm. His breathing had _stopped_.

She looked up from behind her hand, paralysed by shock for a moment. She felt her heart sink to the pit of her stomach and her guts twisted, sending a wave of nausea to envelope her entire being.

"Sasuke?"

_This can't be happening!_ She threw her hand back down in denial, joining the other in the healing, pouring all of her chakra into him, crying and begging for him to return to her. The tears were flowing incessantly as she was unable to contain the outburst of emotions. She was so angry with herself for the mess that they were in. No man in this world will be able to comprehend the agony she was experiencing - losing the very person she loved, all because her mind was fickle. She should have agreed to run when he asked her twice last night. _Why didn't I just fucking agree?_

"Sasuke!" She let out an anguished cry when he remained motionless, cutting of her chakra supply and crouched on his abdomen, burying her head in her folded arms. Her body trembled uncontrollably as she wept hysterically against him. Her cries were loud and she did nothing to suppress them.

"Uruse… (noisy)" The voice came low and tired.

She sat up with a start and bent over his face, reaching her hands to frame his cheeks. "Sasuke?" His eyes stayed closed. "Sasuke. Oh my god, Sasuke!" Trickling tears fell, washing away the blood as if she was purifying him. "You're alright."

"Hn." He muttered.

Pushing the noir strands of hair that were misplaced, she lowered herself and pressed her lips to his forehead, lingering for a moment. She spoke softly between sobs, "Guess you never got the memo..."

He cracked opened half lidded obsidian eyes to regard her as she aided him when he struggled to prop himself up. "Memo?"

"Aa." She nodded, shifting herself to his back and pulling him gently against her. "Here, lean against me. Let me heal you first."

He obeyed like a little child, nestling his head on the hollow of her neck and pressing his forehead against her jaw. His lashes fell back down. The feeling was strangely pleasant. It was similar to the time when she had assisted him with his yukata while they frolicked in the small town on their last mission. Her actions were semblances of love and affection. Oh, how he missed it. He was so comfortable in her arms that he drowsiness set in again.

"You look pretty in that dress..." He uttered a deviant thought that crossed his mind. He would usually filter these thoughts out of his head before voicing them, but he didn't now. He didn't want to.

She chuckled against his skin, showering his temple with little chaste kisses. The warmth was returning to his body. "You must be delirious, but nevertheless, thank you. Are you better now?"

"Hn..." He muttered, nodding his head slightly, all this while keeping his eyes closed.

She allowed him to lie against her while she worked. A significant amount of the blood in his lungs had subsided progressively and his breathing more or less stabilized. The wheezing sounds that he made had disappeared altogether. He was recovering. _Thank god._

Sasuke felt he was in the right place at the right time. At least something in his life was finally right. He blinked when a tear bounced off his cheek and lifted his head off her collarbone, positioning himself so he could face her. His palms cupped her face and with his thumbs he wiped her tears away, though he knew that these were now happy tears, he still preferred her smiling. Pulling her into him, he held her tight, never wanting to let her go. _Never again_.

"Aishiteru… Sasuke-kun." She drawled softly as she shifted within his clutch to sit perpendicular to him between his legs; her own folded at the knees and she embraced him back.

A tiny smile graced his features as he gradually realized that he liked the sound of the suffix on his name. Before he left Konoha he couldn't care any less about it and when he returned, he thought it sounded better without, but now… it acquired a deeper value, the essence of her abundant love for him. He would never take it for granted again.

Releasing his grip slightly, he let her pull away. The green of her eyes that glistened under the moonlight had taken on a dusky hue, much like the sea of grass that surrounded them and her hair was a shade of cerise, darker pink, mysterious yet beautiful. She was covered with dust from the earth, the result of escaping from the grave. Her moistened cheeks gave off a faint shine amid the bronzing effect of the dust that complimented her white, but not-so-white pixie dress.

"Sakura…" Her name had rolled out even when he had no intention of calling her. Angling his head, he leaned in closer, pressing his lips to hers and feeling her soft flesh parting to deepen the sensuality of their union. He raised her chin with his curled fingers of one hand and treaded his thumb gingerly on her jaw line.

With the other that was at her back, he explored her body. Grasping the netted skirt of her shortened gown, he pulled it towards him, exposing more of her creamy thighs. Then when it was high enough for him to reach under, he did, his calloused palm on her skin, feeling the round of her hip and the soft brush of the lace panties as he traveled. She moaned against his lips in approval of his ministrations, encouraging him.

She missed him so badly till every part of her yearned to be caressed. She wanted more; more of his touch; more of his kisses; more of Uchiha Sasuke. The palms of her hand trailed from his shoulders to his back as she repositioned herself, kneeling before him, though cautious not to cause him hurt in the process. Now with leverage, she hardened the kisses and he responded hungrily with low primal moans, sending a heat down her center. Her fingers entwined themselves in his short noir hair at the back of his neck. She was loving it - being able to finally be with him without guilt, without fear. All that mattered now was them, only the two of them.

He felt a flush rush through his body and was amazed that despite having lost a considerable amount of blood, a certain organ responded so quickly to their passionate contact. His hands cupped over the flesh of her ass, molding the halves with his palms. He broke away from the kiss, resting nose against nose. "I fucking miss this."

She smiled. When he leaned up to kiss her again, she pulled away from his grasp with a mirthful giggle. "Let me finish healing you. It's barely three hours to daybreak and we have to make it out of Konoha, pronto. I don't want my 'death' to be in vain."

"Hn." He smirked and laid back down on the grass, cradling his head with his palms and allowed her to continue treating his wound. Her astuteness astounded him. "I never thought of you as cunning."

Charging her hands, she placed them gently over his chest and inserted her chakra into his flesh. "I don't know whether to take that as an insult or a compliment." She gave a muted chuckle as she worked to drain the residual fluids in his lungs.

He lowered his eyelids to recuperate from the tension between his legs. She was evil for leaving things as they are. Had he had his way, she would be screaming under him by now. _Screw the healing session!_ When she lowered herself to press a chaste peck on his lips, he caught a quick yet unintended glance of her bosoms.

He growled with furrowed brows. "That's not helping."

"What's not?" Curiousity emanated from her voice. "Is the pressure too strong?"

"Not where you think."

Visible symbols of the question mark appeared above her head as she tried to decipher what he meant. If the pressure's _too_ strong, just say it's '_too_ strong'. _Where _else could be under pressure? A tiny movement drew her attention from the side of her eyes so she looked in its direction. It was his organ, twitching in the cage of his black formal pants. "Oh..." She murmured in quiet revelation.

He chuckled mutely at her reaction. "Is that all you can say?"

"What should I say?"

"Say, _'Sasuke-kun…'_" He teased with a smirk.

She almost rolled over having not expected that from the all-serious Uchiha, but instead shook her head in refusal.

"Hn. That's your loss."

Her laughter ceased immediately as she rolled to loom over him, arms on either side of his head. The noir eyes that looked into hers had a glint of mischievousness and the smirk from earlier remain affixed on his features. That offensive statement had made it more of a challenge than anything else and she was going to teach him.

He caught on quick enough to see that she wasn't smiling anymore and her emerald eyes were hazed with sensuality. His smirk faded and his eyes now bore the same expression she has.

She hovered her lips over his, letting the tip of their noses touch. He lifted to meet her lips but she moved back before contact, earning her a feral growl, like a predator warning a prey of its almighty presence. She trailed her lips from his chin, down his jaw, to his ear, not kissing him, just brushing lightly. Exhaling a breath of hot air against his skin, she took a earlobe between her teeth, drawing a small gasp from him. She nuzzled her nose against the shell of his ear and rasp slow and seductively into it, "Sasuke... Kun..."

It undid him. He pushed her over and straddled her down to the ground, then shifted himself between her legs. His hands pinned hers beside her head while he crashed his lips onto hers in a heated kiss. How many months was it since he had not had her? Or any woman for that matter. The moment he had tasted sweetness, there was no going back. She was his drug, the aphrodisiac that continued to reel him in, like a fish on a line. No one else would ever satisfy the way she satisfied.

He broke the kiss with a moan when she bucked her hips to grind against his hardness. He tried to kiss her again, but she turned her face away, denying him over and over, till the seething rage and pant up need awaken his Sharingan on its own. Glaring angrily with his scarlet eyes, the six tomoe danced in an organised fashion round his irises. He forcefully grasped her jaw in his palm, finger-pads digging into the flesh of her cheeks until the whites were seen. He was hurting her, but she deserved it. She whimpered under him, as if to apologize. It was too late for apologies. He wanted her and he would have it no other way.

Violently he rammed his lips against hers, drawing blood from a cut she sustained from his teeth. With his free hand he attempted to rip the dress off her body, but she fought him, resisting him with her strength. He knew that she was toying with him, egging him on to 'rape' her. He would do it.

Still holding on to her face, he tore away from her lips, roughly tilted her head upwards and attacked her neck, intending to leave his mark on her pale skin. He heard her breathe to say something and slid two fingers into her mouth to stifle her voice as he continued from her throat down to the unconcealed top of her bosom like a man starved.

Sakura bit down on his intrusive appendages, too drawing blood. He hissed and withdrew them, once more meeting their lips. His rock hard arousal added pressure onto hers, rubbing ever so perfectly in sync with his rough kisses. She was so absorbed in her pleasure that she didn't hear or feel him lower his pants and any other material on him that stood in the way of his having her right now.

With a grunt, his hand ran up her thighs and brushing at her heated center through the material of her panties. He smirked against her lips on hearing her sharp intake of breath. Sliding the slick fabric to the side, he worked two fingers against the folds of her flesh. The sound of her keen moaning and her writhing body beneath him, drove his lust five notches higher. He grunted, dissatisfied with her receiving all the attention, he pushed, burying himself inside her.

A soft cry escaped her lips and her fingernails cut bloody crescents on his back as her walls strove to accommodate his size. He was finally in her. More than two months he waited; waited so that she could be with him; waited so she may see that _she_ was the _only one_ he wanted. He broke from her lips with a throaty groan; she had to be the tightest place on earth.

He rocked back and forth and she responded with the buck of her hips to meet his every thrust. The walls of her sex clamped down granting perfect fiction against his. It was so good. It has been _too_ long. Never again will he let her slip through his fingers.

Her legs astride his hips, wrapped around, forcing him deeper into her. His fingers tangled themselves in her dusky coral hair as he strained to keep from losing himself just yet.

The sounds of her breathing quicken and his name was mixed with her cries. Her body arched back still entrap under him as she strangled a final cry of his name and biting down on the flesh of her lower lip. The pulsating of her inner walls on his shaft took him like crashing waves washing over and drowning him. His fists clutched her hair painfully as he struggled a broken moan against her neck, shuddering his own release, spilling all he had into the woman he loved.

He rested himself over her, body swooning as he came down. Both chests heaved in unison, seeking to still their racing hearts as he remained one with her.

Sakura looked up into his crimson eyes, observing as it transitioned back to midnight black, just like the sky. She brought a hand to brush the forelocks away from his face and leaned up to kiss him. A tender kiss, overflowing with love.

He lowered her down onto the ground, breaking from her lips and embraced her, not speaking, only basking in the presence and embrace of each other. Then he whispered in a soft slightly breathless voice that touched her. "Sakura… I love you. Sincerely and honestly."

* * *

_Kasaneta kono te wo, kondo wa hanasanai  
Shinjiru chikara ga, ai wo jiyuu ni suru.  
(Our hands are clasped, I won't let go this time.  
The power of trust will set love free.)  
~ This Love by Angela Aki~_

* * *

**A/N: **Yeah! Reconciliation! They had sex, while they were dirty… such animals… tsk tsk…

The title of this chapter '**Aisuru Hito wa Sukuwareta**' basically means, '**Saving the One I Love**' for those of you who can't understand a bit of Japanese – I didn't put the meaning up front, because it would give the chapter away.

And for those of you who watched the English dub version of Naruto - Sasuke would call Sakura '**annoying**', but in fact what he says in Japanese is '**uruse**' which means '**noisy**'. So yeah, I just thought that you needed to know that for knowledge sake.

Alright... reviews are much appreciated. :D

Ahh! I miscounted. There will be 11 chapters not 12. 1 more chapter and an epilogue. Sorry for the error! *slaps self*


	10. Heaven's Exoneration

Thank you for your reviews: **kitty cullen**, **tsuchiya-sama**, **Mary S. Jane**, **fuu-nk**, **7HeartAndSoul7**, **Akiko Suzuki**. ^_^

* * *

**A Game for Fools**

Chapter 10: Heaven's Exoneration

* * *

They laid on the flattened and trampled grass below them, soaking in the quiet sounds of their exhausted breaths. Sasuke held her in an embrace while he pillowed her head with his bicep. It was only another half hour to daybreak and they did not have enough time to make it out of the village by tonight. He brushed the stray rosette locks that obscured her features from view and exhaled in silent awe of her beauty. She snuggled closer with lidded eyes into his warmth. Yes, he was warm now. She had healed him completely, not even sparing the ripped out portion of his heart when he thought that he had lost her forever.

His lips curled at the edges as he planted a lingering kiss on her forehead; the same forehead that was teased for being wide in her younger years was always perfect in his eyes, though he never told her. He had been too enshrouded by his thirst for vengeance; he did not have time to ogle at girls. Sakura was a gift to him, precious and definitely costly, not in monetary terms.

She cracked open her tired jade eyes to regard him, having overused her chakra to heal him and also due to the workout they just had; she was shagged. She was aware that they wouldn't be able to leave Konoha tonight, because, one: there was insufficient time and two: they were both too drained for a strenuous journey. They would have to remain here for another day and leave when darkness falls tonight. Giving him gentle smile, she proceeded to prop herself up and he followed suit. "We better find some cover before the sun's up."

"Hn. My place will do." He straightened to his full height and stretched a hand to assist her.

Her legs wobbled unsteadily under her and she would have stumbled to the ground had he not held on to her. "Ah…" She let out a frustrated grunt and mumbled a string of unintelligible strange curse words Sasuke swore he had never heard in his life.

He chuckled amusedly at her and she gave him a hard glare informing him exactly what she thought of his reaction, to which he responded by grabbing and carrying her in his arms making her squeal in surprise. "Profanities don't go well with you."

"What do you know?" She scoffed jokingly, laying her head on the hollow of his neck and shoulder.

'Hn' was all he said as he leapt into the air onto the wooden fence, then jumping off in the direction of his house at the other end of the Uchiha grounds.

When they arrived at his residence, he continued to carry her, setting her down when they reached the bathroom adjoining his bedroom. He instructed her to sit in the tub while he fetched the towel and she obeyed quietly. He didn't want her standing lest she stumbled and breaks her head. What would he do then? No one was to know that she was alive and well.

Sakura sat in the cream colour bathtub and her eyes fixated themselves on the mirror opposite her. She could barely recognized the girl in the reflection. Blotches of dirt and blood marred her face while the white gown was now the colour of rust. _Dear god, my hair…_ She frantically ran both hands through her shoulder length tresses to neaten the disarrayed coral strands. How could she have let him see her like this? She needed to get out of the dress _immediately_. She groped the wall for support as she gingerly climbed to her feet. Reaching back to slide the zipper down, the dress slipped to pool at her feet. Together with her undergarments off, she collected and placed them at a corner. Murmuring to herself that she should burn all traces of it in the fireplace later and if he does not have a fireplace, his Katon would suffice.

She turned the faucet on, allowing the pelting water to wash away the day's tension as well as the grime and dried blood off her body. It was heavenly being cleansed under cascading waters, so heavenly it convinced her that it would give her a new lease of life. Then it dawned on her that this _was_ a new life. She was no longer the Haruno Sakura of Konoha. She was just 'Sakura', no more 'Haruno'; no more 'Konoha'.

She smiled, reiterating her thoughts aloud, "_Just_, Sakura..." Closing her eyes, she faced up under the pouring stream.

"No…" A voice startled her and she spun around to find him stark naked in the bath with her. She had not heard him enter the bathroom and here he was getting cozy with her in the tub.

"Eh?" She brought her hands up to wipe the water off her eyes granting herself better vision.

He placed his palms on her hips and pulled her lightly against him. "You're _Uchiha _Sakura now."

She blushed at his unsubtle implications, pressing her lips onto his collarbone, then looking up at him with a hesitant expression. "I'm not sure about 'Uchiha'…" She caught the flash of consternation on his features, the same one she spotted the first day he returned to Konoha when he heard that she was engage to Naruto. She chuckled, "I'm kidding… '_Uchiha_ Sakura'..." Experimenting the roll of syllables on her tongue, her smile widened into a grin. "I like that very much."

He smirked in response. "So is that a 'yes'?"

"Huh?"

"You will bear my name."

She turned away from him to grab the dispenser from the ledge and squeezed a coin size amount on her palm. "Umm... The last time I checked, proposals were done on one knee." She rubbed her palms together to form suds and went through her bathing routine. When she turned back to face him, she found him on his knee. She burst out in laughter. "Hora! Not in the bathroom, Sasuke!"

"It's all the same."

She ushered him to stand and made her way to his back, when he complied. "It's not... Plus, you're proposing in your birthday suit!"

"Hn. It's my _best_ suit." He retorted, cocked his head slightly over his shoulder to watch her soap his back.

Dots appeared above her head and she was lost for words.

"Your answer, Uchiha Sakura?" He asked with seriousness in his voice, turning around to hold her by her waist while she lathered his chest trailing slowly downwards.

Her breath hitched as she caressed his perfectly toned torso, counting and recounting every bump of muscle on her way down. "Six... Oh god."

A frown formed between his brows, visibly trying to interpret her words that were unrelated to the topic of discussion. He tilted his head to the side. "Six?"

She shook her head as if to rid her mind of her licentious ideas, blushing redder than an apple. "I- I mean, 'yes'. Yes, Sasuke."

Onyx eyes gazed intimately into jade, as she closed the remaining distance between their wet bodies. She reached up to brushed the water soaked forelocks back and absorbed in his attractive features. He wrapped his arms around her waist, palms against her upper back to hold her as close as possible, leaning in to kiss her. A kiss, tender and affectionate, different from all the other times he had kissed her. Only sealing and moving ever so lightly against her lips. It swept through her entire being, the feelings he was conveying through this one act, like an affirmation of his love for her.

She brought her arms around his shoulders and brushed a tongue along his lips, an indication that she wanted more than what he was giving. He understood, parting them, letting their tongues meet in a slow waltz. Love still overflowing from the sensual kiss.

He guided her back till her skin was in contact with the cold tiled wall. His arousal, firm and enlarged, was between her legs, stroking the outskirts of her heated center, sending jolts of pleasure up her spine. He groaned lowly into her lips, bringing one palm to her right thigh and lifted it astride his hip, granting him better access to her slicked femininity. He gave a broken gasp as he slid smoothly into her and she tipped her head back against the wall with a sigh.

Burying his head in the crevasse of her neck, he planted butterfly kisses on her nape and other times nibbling a little, moving in time with his mild thrusts. He worked her so slow and gentle, she could almost weep.

The water from the showerhead sustained its rapid cadent gushes onto their already sodden bodies, overshadowing the sounds of their now keen moaning as he cupped her ass with his palm maneuvering her completely to straddle his hips, granting deeper penetration into her sex. Her fingers gripped onto his obsidian hair, attempting to hold out from the pleasure building up in her abdomen. It was coming; the heated coil, forcing its way through.

"Sasuke…" She gasped into his ear as he closed his teeth on the flesh of her neck, catching the fleeting pulse of her frantic heartbeat against his lips. "Sasuke! I'm going to…"

"Going to what?" He hissed, glaring fiercely into her flustered emerald eyes. He knew the obvious answer, but had wanted to hear her say it aloud, not wavering with his deep plunges.

"Ca… Come!" It came all too quick. Her body tensed up against the wall, as her climax exploded stimulating shivers of pleasure at every nerve ending on her body. Her nails etched bloody crescents on his back as she screamed a strangled cry of his name.

The walls of her sex clamped down in violent sporadic ripples onto his member wiping his mind blank. With another two deep thrusts into her, he induced his own release with a broken huff against her neck; the white fluids surged pass his tip and emptied themselves into her.

They remained motionless against the wall as they came down, chests heaving dangerously to regulate their irregular corybantic heartbeats. A tired and sated smile curled on Sakura's lips as she planted a lingering kiss on his dampen forehead. "You are quite the lover…"

He smirked at the compliment, lowering her down to her feet and releasing his grip only when she was stable enough to hold herself up. They continued their bath at where they had left off.

With a towel wrapped under her arms to cover her modesty, Sakura exited the bathroom and stood aimlessly in the middle of the adjoining room, when it dawned on her that she had no clothes to change into and there is no way in hell she would put on the shortened wedding gown, even if it were clean.

"What are you doing?" Sasuke came up from behind her with a blue towel carelessly tied round his waist and he did not even bother to wipe himself dry before coming out. He enfolded her waist with his arms.

She sighed, leaning her head back against his shoulder. "I don't have anything to wear."

"Hn." He replied unhelpfully.

She was appalled by his flat reply and turned within his clutch to regard him. "I stashed away my necessities near the giant gates, but I can't retrieve it now that the sun's up."

He slipped his arms away and approached the mahogany wardrobe at right most corner of the bedroom. Opening the door to reveal at least ten sets of the same white gi he wore during missions. She grasped it in mid-air when he tossed one in her direction and stared down at it intently.

"What about undergarments?" She asked with a teasing smile.

He unraveled the towel at his waist and brought it up dry his mussed noir hair. "You won't need any while your here."

"What is that supposed to mean?" She chided, propping a clenched fist at the side of her hip and made her way towards him.

"Hn..." He smirked and allowed her to grab the cloth from him as she helped to dry his hair, messing it up in her wake. Then taking it as well as hers, she flung it into the laundry basket beside the wardrobe.

She spread out the gi that was thrown over her shoulder, before her to examine the size and cutting of the cloth, thinking that she would probably drown in the fabric. Nevertheless, she slipped the material on and approached the mirror in the bathroom. _Yup, definitely drowning._ She shrugged at the thought, reminding herself of the idiom, 'beggars can't be choosers'. Bringing the left side over the right, she held it in place with one hand, while the other signaled the Uchiha, in the other room, for an obi or any other sash she could use. She was engrossed with making the outfit work that she absentmindedly took whatever he placed in her outstretched palm without questions. When she finally had a look at it, she recognized it to be that hideous purple shimenawa rope he usually wore.

"Sasuke!" She popped her head through the door and threw it back at him.

He sniggered, amused by her reaction, bringing a forearm to shield himself from impact. He had known how much she hated that belt, because she had specifically told him so while they were on that mission. In fact, she had offered to discard it and buy him a _nicer one_. He objected in violent protest because the _'nicer one'_ she referred to was _pink_with green leaves accent, saying that it'll serve to remind him of her.

He scoffed to himself as he got dressed. How can a _guy_ wear _pink_? He wasn't Kabuto or anything. Oh yes, Kabuto was definitely... Orochimaru's _nurse_. He had accidentally caught sight of Kabuto wearing a queer looking pink fairy dress, prancing around his master's bedside in what looked like a dance. That was the reason why the white snake coughed up blood and had attempted to take his body then. And that was _precisely_ why Orochimaru needed all those before him, Sasuke, for the transfer. If that _fairy _hadn't danced, he would probably still be in Otogakagure. However, he was glad he had rid the world of his weird out mentor. He had recently heard the reports that Kabuto was now turning into the snake man himself. It's amazing what love does.

"For the eighth time! Sasuke!" An irritated voice came from beside him.

"Hn?" He looked towards the coral haired female and could clearly see the protruding vein on her right temple.

"How do I look?" Sakura twirled around in her new outfit. The gi tied in place with a black sash she had found and the white material fell to perfect length, slightly above the knees. She needed to make minor adjustments to the sleeves and it would be complete.

He observed her from head to toe and felt strangely honoured that she was wearing the Uchiha insignia now as her own. His lips curled at the sides as he placed his palms on her hips. "Uchiha Sakura..."

That was all she needed to hear. Trust Sasuke to be succinct with his choice of words. She beamed him her brightest grin and pressed a buss on his nose. He gently took her hand and uncurled her fingers, placing the silver bracelet onto her palm. "Will you accept it back?"

"I will." She replied as she fastened the bracelet where it belonged.

She squealed with delight when he carried her to his bed and he laid himself down beside her, tucking the comforter at either side of them. He was aware that if he was exhausted, she would probably be twice as much, since she had to heal him the night through and partially from two rounds of intimate relations without sufficient rest. Stretching out an arm, he beckoned her to snuggle closer to his chest. She did, lowering her dark pink lashes and exhaling a long, calming breath.

Sasuke watched her affectionately as her breathing slowed into soothing zephyrs in less than a minute. He pressed a palm to caress the hand that she had placed over to hug him, making tiny appreciative circles on her skin with his thumb.

He could finally declare that he was indeed happy. In no way had he expected to ever find happiness a year ago and far less before that. She was his shining light in the darkness; his rainbow after the rain. He owed so much to her, for reaching out to him, for loving him unfailingly since the day they met. He knew he wasn't the best person he could have ever been, but he was now willing to try, for her, for himself and the family they will have in time to come.

An unconscious sigh escaped her lips as he brushed the strawberry bangs away from her face and placed a lingering kiss on her forehead. "Sasuke…" She murmured softly in her sleep, cozying herself deeper into his embrace, causing a tender smile to form on his lips.

He had in his arms the only woman he could ever love; the only person he would willingly give his life for. Maybe the heavens did not hate him that much after all. He smirked at the thought, glancing down at her one last time before allowing the door of pleasant dreams to open. He leaned his head against hers for support and lowered his noir lashes, succumbing to tranquil slumber.

* * *

**A/N: **Kabuto's a fairy! I LOLed when the scene played out in my mind; I had to type that down.

OKok... I apologize... There will be another chapter after this and an epilogue thereafter! ^_^"


	11. Two Against the World

Thank you for your reviews: **Mary S. Jane**, **J'ecris**, **Akiko J. Suzuki**,** tsuchiya-sama**, **Itachi-niisan**, **7HeartandSoul7**,** fuu-nk**, **RacchBreww** and **XeniaKunoichi**.

* * *

**A Game for Fools**

Chapter 11: Two Against the World

* * *

Sakura stirred in her sleep and the pressure of her head on his bicep woke him several hours later. Sasuke lifted his lashes unhurriedly and waited for his eyes to adjust to his surroundings. When it did, he gazed down at the sleeping kunoichi, cuddling him with her arm thrown carelessly over his waist. The hint of a smirk found its way onto his features when it dawned on him that they will be leaving tonight, to begin a new life together. She as his lifelong companion.

Carefully, he shifted her head with the palm of his free hand and laid her softly onto the pillow beneath. Then, unraveling her limbs that were interlaced with his, he extricated himself gently, cautious not to wake her in the process. He froze when she suddenly sighed and turned to face the other side, causing his heart to palpitate a couple of hard thumps in his chest. It wasn't that he was afraid; it was because there was a thrill-like challenge to not wake her from her peaceful slumber. Dismounting from the bed, he stretched his stiffened arms and legs and when his joints involuntarily popped a loud sound, he froze again.

He took a final glance at his lover before he treaded silently out of the bedroom. There were essential matters that required his attention prior to their scheduled journey at nightfall and they had already slept half the day away. Strapping on his sandals, he left his house and proceeded into the village.

* * *

Standing himself before the walnut door of the Hokage's office, he gave two knocks and entered when he was granted leave to. Closing the door behind him, he positioned himself before the Hokage, who seemed to be in a foul mood... But then again, when was she ever jolly? He gave a bow of respect before speaking. "Hokage-sama. I am requesting for leave from the village." Compendious and succinct as always.

"Nani?" Tsunade stood abruptly, slamming her palms on her table, dispersing sheets of classified paperwork like oversized confetti. Her blonde pigtail locks, too, flew at her sudden movement and settled back down gracefully behind her shoulders.

_So predictable._ He had wanted to scoff at the anticipated reaction, but restrained himself. He had learnt to conduct himself in the appropriate light before authorities, despite holding them with little or no veneration at all. Inhaling an even breath, he explained himself. "Sakura's death had impacted me in more ways than I have thought possible. She was my teammate, a friend and more than that. I realized too late that I loved her. Therefore, Hokage-sama, I beseech your understanding to grant me leave of this village."

"Not possible!" Her hazel eyes borrowed into indifferent obsidian ones. "You are aware, your acting as a double agent was merely an atonement for your defection, the preceding reason why Konoha sanctioned your return, was you being the sole-surviving Uchiha that bears the doujutsu kekkei genkai (eye technique bloodline limit), Sharingan. The village granted you shelter and welcomed you back as a brother, as long as you provided heirs to restore the bloodline to Konoha."

"Hn." A frown creased between his brows as he nonchalantly raised a palm to rest on his hip. He rasped while his tone remaining impassive, "As you, _too_, are aware that I know well of what the council of elders did to the Uchiha clan. Or has old age caught up with you, Tsunade-_sama_? If the bloodline was _that_ important to Konoha, they should have thought twice about the massacre." He paused, chest heaving to catch his breath, realizing only now how flustered he had become from digging up past hurts. "I could have started a war, but I didn't. You, no, _Konoha_, owes me more than it can return."

"Tch!" The last legendary Sannin shoved her obstructing armchair out of the way and stared out the only window in the room. She chewed on her thumbnail, raking her mind for a riposte, finding none. _'The boy is right. Look what you did, bakayaro Danzo-jiji (stupid gramps Danzo)!'_

His onyx eyes observed every change in the Hokage's disposition. It was palpable that this verbal joust was his to win. Rallying exertion in his voice, he commanded as if the roles between the two were reversed. "I will leave the village and you will send no one in search for me. It may not be forever. However, I cannot say for how long either."

All Tsunade managed was a submissive nod; her amazonian trait seemingly disappeared under cowardice before the power of an Uchiha. He smirked victoriously.

"I will take my leave. Remember my words, Hokage-sama."

Giving his last warning, he left the office and exited the tower. Of course, he had no intention of returning. He had only stated so to ensure both his and Sakura's safety out of the village as well as to prevent any disruption to the peaceful life he intended for them. If he were to err, he'd rather it be on the side of caution. Chances of them failing were slim, but he would be damned if he lost her again. He'd probably stab a vital organ and hope to die quicker than the last time he attempted suicide. Having resolved one issue, there was just another outstanding - finding Naruto.

* * *

The wind blew in harsh gusts through the lush plains, dusting up dried leaves and grass in its wake. Flailing thin brunches of the trees, rustled in cadence with the chilly draft. He had searched for Naruto at his apartment, but he wasn't in. Therefore, he tried the next best place. The memorial grounds… and he was right.

There he was, the blonde still attired in the dull colour of bereavement, crouched over the grave of his 'late-fiancé', mourning. His face buried in one palm, while with the other he supported his weight on the smooth marble tombstone. The sound of his sobbing though suppressed, accentuated his anguish so evidently.

Sasuke advanced quietly towards the grieving man and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. He was at his lowest; he had stolen this man's fiancé and he was consoling that same man of his loss. He felt like a hypocrite, but what was he to do? It was best that Naruto stayed oblivious to their relationship, lest Sakura was blamed for _his_ trespasses. He would never allow that to happen, she was an angel, pure in heart, who never bore the intention to hurt anyone around her. She deserved happiness and unfortunately for Naruto, her happiness was _him_.

"Sasuke…" The blonde spoke in a voice horse and broken. "She didn't love me, did she?"

The question caught him by surprise and he struggled to gulp away the dryness in his throat. "She did, Naruto."

It was true that she did love him, only it wasn't in the way Naruto wished it would be. Although, he, Sasuke, was usually cold and distant, he found himself caring for his friend. Yes, Naruto was a _friend_, maybe more, maybe a brother, one he never really had, though he would never admit it to anyone, he finally admitted this to himself. He heard Naruto chock a laugh.

"Then why did she have to kill herself?" He wiped the tears from his cheek with the back of his palm and Sasuke caught a glance of how severely all this had taken a toll on his teammate. Naruto's eyelids were puffy, probably from the incessant weeping; the circles around his eyes, dark and haunted from the lack of sleep; and he had lost so much weight within a day.

Sasuke shut his eyes and lied. "I don't know."

"You loved her too, right? I saw the way you... you held on to her when you found her…"

"I did." He acknowledged in a quiet response. "I still do... Sorry." It was an ambiguous apology, holding profound meaning, deeper than what was to be perceived on the surface; a cleverly concealed notion that he was guilty for more than _just_ loving her.

Naruto exhaled a low sigh as he straightened to his full height and regarded the obsidian haired male beside him. "It's fine."

"Dobe, the reason I came to find you was to tell you that I'm leaving Konoha. I've spoken to the Hoka—."

"Ok." The blonde interjected with a weary voice, his brows knitted together and the agony was markedly portrayed on his visage.

"Hn." Sasuke had expected him to put up a fierce fight or lecture that he should not be leaving the village again, especially now that their team was a man short. Somehow, he was grateful that he didn't. He called out to him and raised a clenched fist with a thankful smirk, awaiting Naruto to return the gesture.

Sapphire eyes vaguely lit up as he met his fist knuckles with Sasuke's. It was a silent indication of their friendship something that did not necessitate spoken words to convey. When their fists parted, the blonde let his hand drop back down to his side and the painful expression crept back onto his solemn features as he left the grounds with a dejected gait.

Sasuke stood, observing his teammate gradually disappear from sight and exhaled a mute sigh. No, he was not having second thoughts about leaving the village. However, his heart was heavy. The last time when he left Konoha, he left as if his life depended on it, but right now, it was different. Maybe, because he finally understood what love was and learnt how to accept the love of others around him.

The sun was beginning to descend behind the Hokage monument, splitting the heavens into an array of transient colours; pink, orange, purple coalesced together with blue of the sky. The clouds, fluffy and thick reminded him so much of the Natsu Matsuri (summer festival) where the vendors who sold cotton candy abound. Reminding himself not to stray from his personal assignment, he left shortly after. Sakura should be awake by now and freaking out assuming that he had abandoned her, which apparently was quite the opposite of what occurred when he returned.

* * *

His footsteps reverberated off the wooden walls of the house as he raced to the bedroom where he left her, thrusting the door open, he spotted her diving onto the bed and playing with the corner of a duvet, before she beckoned him. A smirk tipped up at the side of his lips as he approached, laying beside her and pressing his lips to hers in a chaste kiss. "Why are you grinning like that?" He recognized this wide beam on her face, one that only appeared whenever she was up to no good.

She shrugged, choosing to leave it unanswered. "Where have you been?"

"Tying some loose ends." He wrapped his arm around her and pulled her into him. "It's sunset, a couple more hours and we have to leave."

She acknowledged with a nod against his collarbone. "I've been working on my disguise while you were away."

"Disguise?"

"Yup. Here I'll show you." She shuffled under the sheets and shifted herself over him, straddling him down with her thighs.

_'Unquestionably, up to no good…'_ His heart skipped a beat as his mind moiled to find logical reasons as to why she had to position herself this way just for a disguise. It did not help when he recollected that the only thing she had on was the gi, nothing else beneath.

"You ready?" She smiled so mischievously that made a lump form at the back of his throat and he could barely croak a reply. "Henge! (transformation technique)"

He watched in anticipation for the fog that was conjured without fail whenever this or any other transformation technique was executed, to diminish entirely, eyes widening as her now curvy frame dissolved into his vision. She had acquired long noir tresses that spiked at the top of her head extending to her lower back, skin a tint fairer; her eyes the colour of midnight and her proudest achievement thus yet, well endowed bosoms. He could only gawk; nothing could escape his gaped mouth.

She chuckled, leaning down to let their noses touch. "Don't I remind you of someone?" She showered tiny nibs and kisses from his lips down his jaw line then lightly brushed over the sensitive skin of his neck.

He did not respond to her advances, because he found it weird, making out with 'someone else', though it was technically her, but technically it wasn't either… When she began grinding herself against his groin, he snapped out from his reverie and laboured to stave her off. He drawled. "What are you doing?"

"Toying with you..." She breathed against the shell of his ear and taking a lobe between her teeth. "…until you can tell me who I remind you of."

He grunted. He wasn't enticed by her ministrations, but was still finding difficulty fending off her sensual assaults to his body. She was, after all, stronger whenever she deemed it necessary. The little man in his brain was pacing, searching the nooks and crannies for the solution to her challenge and when the puzzle was almost pieced together, his mind was wiped blank again the moment she suckled the flesh of his nape. "Kuso! Stop this now, Sakura."

"Why?" She muttered against his skin. "You give up?" '_Hell, like Uchiha Sasuke would admit defeat! It was taboo to him to ever utter the word 'surrender'.'_

"Hn."

"What?" She sat up, adding pressure to his crotch.

He visibly winced, pitch dropping an octave lower. "Hn."

"I'll assume you're raising the white flag." She smirked. Not waiting for his response, she struck a pose, pointing two index fingers at him. "Tadam! It's you!"

"What?" A drop of sweat beaded and trailed down the side of his temple.

"Come on Sasuke, don't tell me you've never Orioke-d (sexy technique) yourself to see how you'd looked."

"Ridiculous."

Leaning in nearer, she noticed the pink flush on his cheeks. "Good lord, you did…" She burst a loud laugh, collapsing down against him. He was dumbfounded. When she managed to contain herself, she continued, "You wanna touch them?"

The room fell into an abrupt pregnant silence and the only sounds audible were the mating calls of the crickets outside.

Sakura's sly smile never left her lips. "I know you do..."

The red in his cheeks spread over his entire face, but still he gave no response.

"Sasuke-kun..." She took his palms and lifted them, leveling them an inch away from her mounds. His chest was heaving erratically as she gradually closed the distance in-between and when they made contact, he _hyperventilated_.

Snapping himself out of it, he urgently tugged his hands away from her grasp and admonished with an awkward wheeze, "You… may be you, but this is not you."

It took a couple of seconds for that profession to sink in. She blinked, touched in a peculiar way. "Aw..." She released the henge and reverted back to her true self, saving him further torment. However, his solace was short lived when she began bouncing atop him, knocking the wind out of his lungs, declaring that she loved him. He couldn't help but wonder what he had gotten himself into.

Managing to push her off him and switch their respective positions, he planted his palms on either side of her, efficiently hampering her efforts at liberation. Her jade eyes widen, depicting her innocence into the onyx that seemed to be ten shades darker than they usually were. Looming in over her, he sent a chill down her spine when he rasped low with primal instinct leaking through his tone, "Sakura, that energy of yours needs taming." She knew she was done for.

* * *

Nightfall - a new found friend, so it seemed to Sakura as she stood in the middle of the lawn, awaiting his company. Her thoughts were racing and so was her heart. They were really doing this. Never, ever, had she thought she would leave the lifelong refuge of her village to begin a new existence elsewhere with the man she loved. It was an arduous sacrifice, but nevertheless, one that procured her happiness. Ah happiness... Fleeting and ephemeral, yet sustaining and enduring. It was ethereal, as was this love they shared.

She brought a hand to her temple to hinder her noir tresses from obscuring her now coal coloured eyes as the gentle zephyrs of soothing wind passed over her. Sasuke had inveigled her during their earlier intimacy into keeping her features intact, save for their colours, because, as he had so eloquently put it, 'he needed to see a semblance of her in her disguise lest he disallowed her release'. Cloying, isn't it? That man is the god of charms, if not, the god of sex in the flesh, always able to make things go his way with his baritone voice and deftly skilled anatomy.

Sakura swore she had swooned the moment when he emerged from the bedroom, clad in a black t-shirt with the clan's dignified insignia adorning the back, a few inches below the neckline and a pair of black pants. The shirt was form fitting enough to sinfully exhibit his six delectably taut abs beneath, making her mind run rampant with desire. When he approached, wrapping his arms around her waist, she stiffened.

His brows furrowed, perplex at her reaction to his embrace. "What's wrong?"

"Er... N-n-nothing... I j-just..." Her cheeks blushed beet red, hoping the surrounding darkness would be able to conceal her embarrassment.

His clutch loosened. "If you are having second—."

Capturing his lips with hers to hush him, she locked him in a deep and lingering passionate kiss; prying away from his flesh took more willpower than calculated. She brushed the raven forelocks off his face and caressed his cheek with her thumb. The visage she wore, spoke love and tenderness as she assured him. "I would never second thoughts about this, Sasuke. I love you and I want to spend eternity with you. You know that, don't you?" She paused to inhale, still finding it difficult to breathe with his hot body pressing against her. The scarlet hue on her cheeks returned as she continued with a shudder. "Anyway... You look incredibly inviting in that shirt."

"Really now? Should we leave tomorrow instead?" He smirked amusedly, returning the gesture of endearment by weaving his fingers through her noir locks. Although this new Sakura appeared physically different, she was beautiful in her own right.

She smacked him lightly on his chest, as if to reprimand. "No, we'll probably never leave, 'cause we'd end up doing _it _over and over."

"Hn." He was unable to hide the smug grin on his face believing he had undoubtedly earned the title of 'stud' in her books. Turning to shoulder his haversack that contained his necessities and a little more that he had kindly packed for her, he asked. "You ready?"

She placed a peck on his nose and squeezed his hand affectionately before answering with a nod. "Let's go." The muscles in her calves tensed as she leapt into the air, leading the way to the giant gates in the dark of night.

They had formulated an exit strategy to get pass the two watchmen, Kotatsu and Izumo, which would practically be as easy as pie since they were both already lazy by nature. Sakura had always wondered why Tsunade-Shishou would task those lumps with something so important. All Sasuke needed to do was use genjutsu to render them unconscious while she retrieved her stashed belongings nearby. Then she would make her departure before Sasuke and he will release the illusion on the guards once he's out of sight. Thereafter, they will meet at the rendezvous point four kilometers ahead, in the safety of the jungle foliage.

Everything went according to plan as he arrived shortly after her and she had by then clothed herself in her lacking undergarments. She reached over to hold his hand, interlocking her fingers with his as they took a last look at their former home, the great Konohagakure no Sato.

"Forgive me..." Sakura uttered quietly their final goodbyes for herself and him, to their friends, family, teachers, masters... well, not his master... and to the village itself. "Sayonara minna... (Farewell everyone.)"

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

I admit, I've been having a really, really bad block lately…

I tried: Jogging till my legs were sore; sleeping early hoping for _prophetic_ dreams; drank my favourite tea consecutively for 1 week, banged my head against my desk… nothing helped. This is _by far_ the hardest chapter for me… I'm sobbing inconsolably right now. Sorry if I disappointed you guys. :(


	12. Kono Koi  This Love

Oooohhh Man! This is the last chappie already! Ahh.. I can't believe it. Anyway...

Thank you for your reviews:  
**fuu-nk** (for your funky reviews ^_^);  
**Lefty11** (for your encouragements that made me smile);  
**MSJ** (I almost didn't recognise you with your name cut short! XD I will jog more.. to keep fit! XD Thank you so much for your never ending support these past months);  
**Akiko J. Suzuki** (for all the reviews that you have supported me with and I find them an entertaining read);  
**xxAngelEyez01xx** (for your encouraging review that made me LOL! *laughs*);  
**Hotaru Himura** (Yes Yes! *throws fists in air* Only Sakura can have Sasuke's babies! *waggles brows*)  
**tsuchiya-sama** (for all the reviews that made me roll on the floor! XD I still love how you freaked out that one chapter.. XD)  
**PublicIndecency** (c: Here's the last update. Hope you'll enjoy it.)  
**UltraGenius** (Gah! Is sorry! Q_Q I pity Naruto too... *pats your back* Don't be sad... He can have Hinata!)  
**XeniaKunoichi** (XD Sorry.. no lemon last chapter... Too much of the sour fruit spoils the broth. Thank you for all the reviews you have written for me.)

I'm going to miss you all so much... here's the last one going out to all of you! *cheers* Do enjoy.

* * *

**A Game for Fools**

Epilogue: Kono Koi (This Love)

* * *

"Sasuke?" Sakura called out to the man who sat under the shade of the tree, escaping the rays of the sweltering afternoon sun. With his back against the trunk, he pillowed his head with an arm while the other rested atop this stomach over the black t-shirt he wore. His legs were crossed at the ankles and she could see the material of his navy blue pants creasing in-between as she approached him.

"Hn…" He replied, cracking open his obsidian eyes to regard the woman clad in a simple white spaghetti dress that covered up to her knees as she settled herself beside him. Her bright emerald eyes sparkled in reflection of the light from the sky and he swore he fell in love with her all over again. Reaching an arm over her shoulder, he pulled her gently against his chest.

She placed a palm over the hand he had on his abdomen and snuggled as close as she could get. Tilting her head up, she pecked a kiss on his lower jaw. "It's today, isn't it?"

He nodded in silent acknowledgment as he returned a lingering kiss on her forehead.

"Do you regret it?" She asked in a slightly nervous quiet tone, tracing her thumb in circles on the surface of his skin.

He shifted so that he was facing her now, brushing his fingers through her rosette bangs that obscured a little of her milky skin and stroking a thumb to caress her cheek. He trailed his hand down the braided tail of her tresses that she grew over the years extending to her bosom and removed the green hair-tie that held it together. Once again, running his fingers through to unweave the plaits, he relished in the beauty of the woman he loved. He leaned in to press his lips to hers in an intimate kiss, decimating each and every one of the doubts she had concerning his answer.

Yes, it was _today_. The fifth anniversary of when they had left Konohakagure no Sato and had since never looked back.

* * *

_They traveled for a day after leaving home, returning to the same village in the outskirts of the Country of Fire that held all their precious memories, the place where they determined, without a doubt, that they wanted to be together, during their first mission. It felt like home, however, they both knew that the chances of being discovered are high since Konoha shinobis would regularly pass through to replenish their rations, so they stayed for two days before setting off again._

_Deciding to explore all there was to be seen or heard, they never remained in one location for too long. They scouted the world in hunt for potential settlements where they would, in future, make their residence; and while they did, they were cautious to avoid the hidden villages, since they both were well known shinobis of their time, especially the once Avenger. Unfailingly, Sakura journeyed in the guise of her raven doppelganger, only when they were alone did she release the henge (transformation technique) and because they traveled days at a time before stopping to recuperate, he would constantly remind her that he missed her coral hair and jade eyes. _

_During the period, a year after leaving home, when they were in an unnamed land, smacked right in-between the countries of Earth and Wind, they found a little town where the citizens were hospitable and friendly. One fine day, when they patronized a street stall for a dinner, the tenchou (shopkeeper) raised an issue that both had seemingly forgotten about._

"Hai! Two orders of set meal bentos!" The burly shopkeeper announced when he brought them their meals.

Sakura gave an appreciative smile and thanked the man, while the Uchiha just grunted under his breath. The tenchou gawked in awe as he witnessed them mechanically distribute the dishes among themselves. She taking the sugared sides that he hated from his plate, and he taking the tomatoes from her plate, which she didn't really like that much, not having to utter a word to each other.

The tenchou chuckled and asked amusedly. "You both are so compatible. Are you husband and wife?"

They stared up wide-eyed at the man for an extended amount of time before replying simultaneously. Sasuke said "yes". Sakura said "no".

She immediately shifted her attention to her partner across her and tilted her head to the side in silent effort to seek clarification on his aberrant response. All she received was a smirk from the ebony haired shinobi. Having have forever with each other, the need to officiate their relationship grew less compelling, since they were already acting like they were espoused and marriage had simply slipped from their minds.

The tenchou despite being thrown into confusion at their answers was polite enough to not question further, so he excused himself and informed them that drinks were on the house tonight.

"What was that about, Sasuke?" Her cheeks took on a pink hue as she enquired with a tint of nervousness in her voice, when they were alone once again.

"I know this is long overdue, but..." He shuffled out of his seat and sauntered over to her side of the table. Taking her hand in his, he knelt on the ground. "Sakura, koishi (love)... Kekon-shite (marry me)."

_'He's proposing... Properly, this time... Before the patrons and staff in this street stall...' _She was sure her entire face had flushed beet red as she struggled to compress her overflowing joy. Yes, it did remind her of the time Naruto proposed before a multitude of witnesses, but the emotions she felt then and now were completely different. This felt right. Deliberately leaving Sasuke on his knee, she gave a hesitant expression, just to tease him a wee bit for all the pain and hurt he had put her through, and she swore she saw a flicker of consternation on his features. She gave a mute chuckle and leaned in to kiss him. "Of course, Sasuke."

The onlookers that had gathered around were applauding, cheering their congratulations and well-wishes around them. She assisted him to his feet and embraced him, not repressing the tears of bliss that trailed down her cheeks that created sodden circles on his shirt. He released his clutch on her as she pulled away and he brought his hands up, before she did, to wipe the moisture from her face, then he bussed her forehead. "Nakanai de… You know I prefer you smiling."

"You never fail to inform me so." She spoke tenderly and once more, she pressed her lips to his in a kiss of affection.

_The very next day, they sealed the deal in a Shinto shrine, declaring their vows of marriage and everlasting love before the gods in heaven._

* * *

Sasuke broke from the passionate kiss and allowed her to rest her head on the crevasse of his neck. Leaning his chin on her temple, he lowered his lashes and he stroked her exposed bicep gently with his thumb as they basked in the presence of one another. He lifted his eyelids when he felt her shift in his hold and found her surveying the area, "Sasuke, where is—."

"Kaa-san!" A tiny voice shouted from afar, interrupting her mid-sentence.

"Crap!" Sasuke mumbled.

"Sas—." It all happened so quickly. He hurriedly retracted his arm and jumped up to perch himself on a branch of the tree, before she could complete her sentence _again_. Puzzled, she turned to face the little figure, dressed in a navy blue raised collar shirt and white pants, running in her direction. She stretched out her arms to receive the boy. "What's wrong, baby?"

"I can't find Tou-san anywhere…" The child pouted his lower lip, sulking with displeasure.

Sakura chuckled, running her fingers through to neaten his mussed dusky coral hair. Lifting him by his under arms, she sat him down on her lap, placing a palm against his temple to rest him against her body. "Why were you searching for your Otou-san, Seiichi?"

"We're playing 'Hide-and-Seek'... Tou-san's the seeker…" He shifted to gaze his dark onyx eyes into his mother's. "But I hid for _twenty_ minutes…" He had struck a pose with his tiny fingers, indicating the number 'two' when he said the word 'twenty'. His tone emanated sadness and disappointment so evidently, it almost broke her heart. _Almost_.

She brought a hand over her mouth to suppress a laugh, fighting the urge to look up into the tree to catch her husband's reaction. Pressing her lips to his slightly wide forehead, she spoke tenderly, "Come on, I'll search for him with you." She offered a hand to her son, whose height barely reached her hip, as she stood up.

A smirk found its way onto Sasuke's features as he observed Seiichi nodding quietly and clasping his petite palm around two of Sakura's fingers, before she led their toddler son away from the garden and into the house, granting him a momentary breather.

Parenthood… He had never thought it would be this challenging. The little three year old had so much verve that he was practically falling behind. He was certain that the playful trait must have come from Sakura. When _he_ was a kid, he was active, but playful, not so much and he'd rather not be reminded of his childhood. However, whatever it was, it was a lesson to learn from; he was not going to deny his child the lifestyle he could only wish his own father would or could have given him.

They had agreed to not place Seiichi into any ninja academy, lest he would be corrupted by the ideals of the shinobi, something that they both could relate to. Instead, they decided to self-train their son and teach him their own ninja ways with the most important element - **Love**. That was probably the reason why Seiichi had so much vigor he needed to utilize, with his father becoming the victim of his unintentional exploitations.

He chortled at the thought, folding his arms to his chest and made himself comfortable on the branch. He won't be coming down from there just yet… He would reconsider again in a couple of hours.

* * *

_When she was a little girl, she had always envisioned herself becoming a mother in her later years and had always imagined her children to be the offspring of her first love. Subsequently, when he defected, those dreams were dashed, but even so, the images of midnight hair and obsidian eyed children remained, only causing the hurt to grow almost unbearable. As time passed, they just faded away into nothingness, just as her heart slowly but surely harden in self-defense. By the time Sasuke returned, she had outgrown the notion entirely, never allowing herself to get her hopes up in fear of having them torn asunder at her happiest and she have not thought about it since. Even after they were married for a year, the issue did not come to mind and he had not brought it up since his very first proposal._

Then one day, fate would have her witness a wonderful sight to behold, one that made those beautiful dreams come flooding back.

Sasuke and herself would usually split up and go separate ways whenever they needed to replenish their supplies, to save on what precious time they had and reconvene back at the inn when they were done. That day, she had tasked him with the groceries, which she knew how much he hated to do, but he relented, because he would, without fail, fall prey to her pleading emerald puppy eyes. He had proceeded out before her and she left shortly after in her henge to get stock on their weaponries.

When she had finished her purchases, she took a stroll down the path back to the inn, enjoying the sights and sounds of the small town on an obscure island in the Land of Water. They had been on that island for almost a month and were gearing up to leave within another day or two.

Just as she was ambling pass the grocery store, she heard the undeniable baritone voice of her husband speaking with someone. Curious, as she always was, she snuck with her back against the wall and peeked through the only window into the shop. She was, of course, correct that it was Sasuke and he was comforting a little crying blonde girl. Having never seen him in such an enlightening situation, she found herself staring and smiling as he handed a piece of candy to calm the distraught child. Then he stooped down to pick her in his arms and spoke with a tone so gentle, Sakura's heart fluttered in her chest. The girl informed that she have been running around and was separated from her parents.

Deciding to grant him assistance, she entered the shop, not bothering to mask the amused grin on her features. He muttered a low 'what?' when he saw that smile and she responded with a light shake of her head. Together, they spent the day tending to the girl, feeding her and searching for her parents. It was only in the late evening that they managed to reunite the child with her grateful family.

This was a day of learning for Sakura. She had assumed that she knew all there was to know about her partner and was proven wrong. She was glad that she was, because the man she saw now was one capable of being a responsible father. It wasn't that she didn't think he was before; it was just that Sasuke had never shown such human vulnerability and was proud of him that he now embraced it. Making it known to him that night as he held her in his arms with her back to his chest, she whispered, "Sasuke?"

"Hmmm?" He muttered as he pressed his lips to her coral tresses at the back of her head.

"You were amazing today."

"Hn. Aren't I always?"

She groaned, rolling her eyes. "Conceited rooster! I'm referring to how you attended to that poor girl today…" Shuffling on the bed, she turned to face him, throwing her arm around his shoulder and closing the space between their bodies. "I am so proud of you, Uchiha Sasuke…"

"H—."

She locked her lips onto his, stifling him as he tried to speak, kissing him with untamed wanton fever. She climbed atop to straddle him down as he fought in futility to stave her off. When she finally broke away, she pressed a finger against his lips to hush him further. Her jade eyes focused onto his onyx with all seriousness and he too caught on with the mood. She lowered herself and embraced him. "Sasuke… Let's do it."

"An insatiable minx, that's what you are…"

She scoffed and propped her forearms on his chest, hitting him lightly to reproof. "Hora! I'm not talking about sex… Well, I am, but…" Feeling the blood rush to her cheeks, she hurriedly buried her face in the crevasse of his nape and explained in a small hesitant tone. "Uh… Let's… have a baby." She paused before continuing again at the speed of a bullet train, "I'm fertile. I've checked with my iryo-ninjutsu."

Her heart was pounding at a hundred miles a second as she waited for his reply, wanting to hear his affirmation that he, too, wanted a child, with _her_. He did not respond; he did not even move an inch. Anxiety built up within her and she lifted her head from hiding to meet his thoughtful obsidian eyes. They were searching her emeralds as if unsure of his answer.

She sighed, voice ringing deep with disappointment. "It's fine if you aren't rea—."

He kissed her to quieten her; kissed to banish her doubts; kissed to tell her he loved her and kissed because he was overjoyed. He could not believe that she, finally, wanted to have his child. He had assumed that she never wanted one, from the way she abstained from intercourse during the peak of her fertility and he did not want to pressurize her into it, because he loved her too much.

Gently flipping her to the bed, he positioned himself over her and gingerly pulled apart from her lips. He gazed into those glistening jade orbs, the same ones that always unarmed him. There was so much love in her eyes; it never failed to touch a part of him he never thought existed. Truly, she was his soul's counterpart; the only one capable of completing him. And now, from this said completion, they will create a love far greater than themselves.

He planted a lingering kiss on the tip of her nose. "Sakura… Arigato."

Tears escaped from her ducts, trailing down either sides of her face. It was familiar, his words… like déjà vu. The last she heard them was the day he left her behind, but the meaning and the emotions presently were all different. They were beautiful. He thumbed a tear, smearing it away and kissed her.

_It was three months later, while they were somewhere between the Lands of Rice and Lighting that she learnt she had conceived and by her examination with her abilities, she was three weeks pregnant. They were expecting their first child. She was so blissful, she felt she was practically soaring among the clouds. _

_The moment Sasuke had returned from getting their supplies, she clutched on to him and broke the news. He was so mindlessly happy, he threw the packages aside and carried her, twirling her around in circles, till she felt sick and almost rained the contents of her stomach on him. He apologized frantically and laid her on the bed. _

_She could see how nervous he was about becoming a father that it appeared intriguingly adorable in her eyes. He would constantly be overprotective towards her; never leaving her side unless she had to use the washroom, even still, he would stand guard outside the door, knocking every five minutes or so. It irritated her to an extent she ripped the bowl clean from the ground and threw it through the walls, missing him by only a hair._

_By mid-term, she was glowing. Her rosette tresses thick and full, the rounds of her physicality appealing and the verdant green of her eyes sparkled like clear waters. The weight of carrying another was demanding and would tire her easily, but that was when she would receive his utmost care and affection. He would, daily, level himself at the swell of her belly and talk to their unborn child, sometimes placing little butterfly kisses on her skin. It often would make her feel better._

_They had returned to that same island in the Country of Water and found a place in the highlands where they could permanently stay without being discovered._

_Labour was beyond words. Sakura screamed the entire night away while clasping on to his hand, seeing fit to remind him that this was _his_ fault that she had to go through childbirth. To which he responded that he couldn't see the reason how this was _all_ his doing because it was a joint effort. And to which she responded by breaking his entire right forearm. No one argues with a woman in labour. It is the only time when _anything_ and _everything_ she says is correct, because _shesays so_._

_That same night their son was born. Little Seiichi, with a head full of fluffy pink hair, though not the in the exact hue as Sakura's. It had a darker tinge, a unique blend of Sasuke's noir mixed with that of Sakura's rosette, a new colour they created together from the love they shared. Both were ecstatic. _

_When Seiichi slept soundly beside Sakura after weaning, Sasuke reminded her that he loved her and apologised for the wrongs he committed that had caused her so much grief. It made her cry happy, grateful tears as he held her in his arms. Only realising then that she had not healed his broken arm and so she did while apologizing for her rash actions._

_He watched as Sakura fell into exhausted sleep and kept vigil over the two beings he loved more than anything in the world. How far they had come from all those years back. He smiled and pressed a soft kiss on her forehead and shifted to kiss his infant son. He felt that the heavens had granted him redemption, far greater than he ever thought he would or _should_ receive and uttered a silent thankful prayer to the gods before allowing himself to join his new family in slumber._

* * *

His nose twitched as the wind blew a delectable scent in his direction. He lifted his lashes and peered down from the tree. It was Sakura and Seiichi. The child was still oblivious to his presence, but she… she had given the boy his greatest weakness to entice him… Omusubi with _tomatoes_… _Lots_ of tomatoes…

"Tou-san! Where are you?" The child shouted, voice cracking a little.

She joined in to entertain their son, "Where are you, Sasuke?"

"Kaa-san made omusubi-s. She says I can have them all…"

Sakura snorted with a hand over her mouth. "Yeah, Seiichi and I will be having all the red… Round… Sweet… Juicy… Delicious… Mmm… Toma—."

He jumped from the tree and grabbed his wife from behind, making her squeal in surprise. "Damn you, Sakura. You always know how to work me up."

"Aha! Tou-san! Misuketa! (Found you!)" The boy waved the omusubi at his father and deliberately took a mouthful of it in his face.

Sasuke literally blanched and his heartbeat drummed in his ears, as he observed his son take bite after bite of the savoury finger-food in slow motion. "Sa-Sa-Sakura… Did you teach him to do that?"

She only responded with a mischievous giggle.

He turned her around and glared into her jade eyes. "You are getting it tonight, I assure you."

She pecked his lips, "Oh… About that, Sasuke… I was meaning to tell you sooner, but you went into hiding." She paused and looked towards their son, who was now running towards the house, satisfied that he had finally located his father's whereabouts.

"What is it, Sakura?" He asked with concern resonating in his tone as he held her by her shoulders.

She smiled at him with tenderness in her emeralds. "I'm pregnant."

"Hn." He released his grasp and took a step back; his onyx eyes travelled down to her abdomen and stayed affixed there. This was unexpected. Although they were planning for another child, they were not calculatingly trying. They wanted nature to take its course this time around.

Taking his palm in her hand, she placed it over her belly and activated her chakra. He felt it, the weird tingling sensation that flowed through his hand and into her body. It was stranger when he felt another source reverberating inside her. This was new to him; she had never done this with the first pregnancy.

"I know what you're thinking, I'm not doing that…" She caressed the back of his hand with her fingers. "Oh… and I'm roughly ten weeks along."

He closed the distance between them and embraced her tightly in his clutch. He couldn't ask for anything better. This life is perfect. He has a wife, a son and they will be having another child in less than seven months. "Aishiteru."

"Atashi mo, anta no koto. (Me too, you, I mean.)" She rested her head on his collarbone, wrapping her arms around him to return the gesture.

"Come on. Let's go back in, before Seiichi finishes _my_ omusubi-s." He smirked.

She laughed and hit him lightly on his bicep. He scooped her up into her arms and cradled her, pressing a lingering kiss on her lips before proceeding to join their toddler son inside the house.

* * *

**A/N: ** This last chapter is all above **L.O.V.E.**. It's all bitter-sweet to me. I'm going to miss this Sakura and Sasuke so much… Oh! And I apologise if you wanted lemon for this chapter... I'm considering writing another pure lemon chappie, but I'm not so sure about it... Do you want? *waggles brows*

So, '**Seiichi**' - 'The Refined First'.. I love that name... ^_^ and it also begins with an 'S' just like his parent's! *happy dances*

I hope you all have enjoyed reading and for the last time, your reviews are much appreciated. Thank you, dear all and sayonara! Unless you are going to follow my other/future stories then, ja-ne.


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